Cactaceae
Cactus apple
Opuntia engelmannii
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Opuntia
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Common names
By language (2)
- Chinese
- 天人团扇, 牛舌掌
- English
- Cactus apple, Engelmann's prickly pear, Cactus-apple, Desert prickly pear, Discus prickly pear, San Antonio pricklypear
Synonyms
- Opuntia bensonii Sánchez-Mej.
- Opuntia caesia Griffiths
- Opuntia cantabrigiensis Lynch
- Opuntia engelmannii f. occidentalis (Engelm.) Schelle
- Opuntia engelmannii subsp. occidentalis Engelm.
- Opuntia engelmannii var. flavescens (Peebles) L.D.Benson
- Opuntia engelmannii var. megacarpa (Griffiths) Fosberg
- Opuntia expansa Griffiths
- Opuntia flavescens Peebles
- Opuntia lindheimeri subsp. cantabrigiensis (Lynch) Guiggi
- Opuntia magnarenensis Griffiths
- Opuntia megacarpa Griffiths
- Opuntia neochrysacantha Bravo
- Opuntia occidentalis var. megacarpa (Griffiths) Munz
- Opuntia occidentalis var. megacarpa (Griffiths) Munz
- Opuntia pyrocarpa Griffiths
- Opuntia riparia Griffiths
- Opuntia valida Griffiths
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: native
Photos
Photo: Fawaz.tairou, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Katrina Kunker, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Feloidea, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Zenón Rizo Fernández, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: krieger David, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: BIOGEO, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Joseph Shaw, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jean-Philippe Vilain, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Opuntia
- Prickly pearOpuntia ficus-indicaCactaceae
- Angel's-wingsOpuntia microdasysCactaceae
- Erect pricklypearOpuntia strictaCactaceae
- Devil's-tongueOpuntia humifusaCactaceae
- Brittle pricklypearOpuntia fragilisCactaceae
- Common pricklypearOpuntia monacanthaCactaceae
- Tulip pricklypearOpuntia phaeacanthaCactaceae
- Beavertail pricklypearOpuntia basilarisCactaceae
- Dollarjoint pricklypearOpuntia chloroticaCactaceae
- Arborescent pricklypearOpuntia leucotrichaCactaceae
- Elephantear pricklypearOpuntia tunaCactaceae
- Chenille pricklypearOpuntia aciculataCactaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.