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Eastern Prickly Pear

Opuntia humifusa

73
Strong

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
6 inches–1 foot
Spread
1–1.5 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to somewhat dry

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
June to July

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 6 Louisiana parishes.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 37 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (30)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Opuntia

  • Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Laetilia coccidivoraScale-Feeding Snout
  • Melitara prodenialisEastern Cactus-Boring Moth, Eastern Blue Cactus Borer
  • Eurythmia hospitella
  • Menesta tortriciformella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
25BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Opuntia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
5Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Opuntia

  • Diadasia australis
  • Diadasia piercei
  • Lithurgopsis gibbosa
  • Lithurgopsis littoralis
  • Macrotera texana
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2BirdsRecorded eating Opuntia in Louisiana

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Louisiana, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Birds that eat Opuntia 2

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Cactaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Flower color
Yellow or red

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources