General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Fruit: Showy
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Spring
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Will Naturalize
Edible Parts: Fruit
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Needs specific temperature: 68-86 degrees
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Other info: Seeds may be extremely slow to germinate
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Layering
Other: Individual pads form new plants; they must dry and callous for 10 days before planting
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
With thorns/spines/prickles/teeth

Image
Common names
  • Santa Rita Pricklypear
  • Gisoki
  • Purple Pricklypear
  • Violet Pricklypear
  • Nabo
  • Heel
  • Prickly Pear
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Opuntia gosseliniana
  • Synonym: Opuntia santa-rita

Photo Gallery
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Date: 2018-04-19
Leafcutter bee approaching a Santa-Rita Prickly Pear cactus flowe
Location: my garden
Date: 2016-05-16

photo credit: H. Zell

Date: 2020-05-01
Location: At a local nursery 
Date: 2024-04-11
Location: Burger's Desert - Arnhem
Date: 2013-06-22
Location: US National Arboretum, Washington D.C.
Date: 2015-05-24
Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita).
Location: US National Arboretum, Washington D.C.
Date: 2015-05-24
Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita).
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Uploaded by ljones26

Photo courtesy of: davidbygott

Date: 2015-03-07
Location: Botanical Garden of Bochum
Date: 2014-10-16
Location: Botanical Garden La Concepcion - Malaga
Date: 2015-03-25
Location: Botanical Garden La Concepcion - Malaga
Date: 2015-03-25
Location: Burger's Desert - Arnhem
Date: 2013-06-22
Location: Jardi Botanic de Soller - Mallorca
Date: 2010-11-06
Location: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: 2019-03-21
Location: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: 2019-03-21
Location: Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: 2019-03-21
Location: US National Arboretum, Washington DC, US
Date: 2015-05-24
Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita)
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-07-09

Date: 2013-10-07

Date: 2013-10-07

Date: 2018-01-21

Date: 2018-01-21
Location: Holmes Beach FL
Date: 2015-04-09

Photo courtesy of: davidbygott

Photo courtesy of: davidbygott
This plant is tagged in:
Image

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Prickly Pears Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Prickly Pears (Opuntia)

« The Prickly Pears Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page