Spiny desert cactus confirmed growing in Arizona's Mohave County
iNaturalist: zogador
Native Plants
If you're trying to grow a low-water, deer-resistant cactus in a rocky yard, this hardy pricklypear's confirmed range tells you it thrives in exactly the hot, dry, high-elevation conditions your landscape probably has.
Someone spotted a Mojave Pricklypear cactus in the Arizona desert and uploaded a photo, and other experts looked at it and confirmed the identification. This cactus has a spiny, hedgehog-like look (its scientific name even includes 'erinacea,' which nods to that bristly texture) and it's built to survive brutal heat and drought.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the species ID was confirmed by community consensus
Location documented in Mohave County, Arizona, part of the Mojave Desert region
Subspecies identified as Opuntia polyacantha var. erinacea, known for dense, bristly spines
chevron_right Technical Summary
A spiky desert cactus called the Mojave Pricklypear was confirmed by experts in Mohave County, Arizona, adding a verified data point to our map of where this tough succulent grows.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Mojave Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha erinacea) observed in Mohave County, AZ, USA
Research-grade observation of Mojave Pricklypear in Mohave County, AZ, USA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Opuntia phaeacantha is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common names brown-spine prickly pear, tulip prickly pear, and desert prickly pear, which is found across the southwestern United States, lower Great Plains, and northern Mexico. The plant forms dense but localized thickets. Sev...