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Opuntia littoralis

coastal pricklypear

Cactaceae

Coastal southern California and Baja California

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Opuntia littoralis is a low, clumping prickly pear cactus in the cactus family, forming sprawling mounds 1.5-3 feet (45-90 cm) tall and spreading several feet wide. The blue-green stems are flattened into oval pads (cladodes) 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) long, armed with stout yellowish spines and clusters of tiny barbed glochids at each areole. In late spring and early summer it bears waxy yellow flowers 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) across, sometimes tinged red, opening along the pad edges. The flowers give way to fleshy red-purple fruits 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) long. It is native to the coastal bluffs, mesas, and sage scrub of southern California and northern Baja California. It withstands salt spray, drought, and lean soils but spreads by rooting fallen pads and can form dense patches, and the spines and glochids make handling difficult.

Native Range

Opuntia littoralis is native to the coastal regions of southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico. It grows on bluffs, coastal mesas, and in coastal sage scrub and chaparral near the sea.

Suggested Uses

Grown in dry coastal and desert gardens, rock gardens, and on slopes for erosion control in mild regions. It supplies cover and fruit for wildlife in habitat plantings. The spines limit its use near paths and play areas.

How to Identify

Identify by the low, clumping habit and blue-green oval pads 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) long set with stout yellowish spines and tufts of barbed glochids. The yellow, sometimes red-tinged flowers and fleshy red-purple fruit appear along the pad margins. Its coastal habitat and spreading mounded form separate it from more upright inland Opuntia spp. species, though the group hybridizes and plants can be hard to name with certainty.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 3'

Width/Spread3' - 6'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring Summer

Waxy yellow flowers open in late spring and early summer, roughly April to June, each lasting a day or two. Bloom is followed by red-purple fruit that ripens through summer and autumn. Flowering is heaviest after a wet winter.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow, sometimes tinged red

Foliage Description

blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Opuntia littoralis in full sun and sharp-draining sandy, rocky, or gritty soil. It withstands drought, heat, salt spray, and lean ground once established and rots in heavy, wet, or poorly drained soil. Water is given sparingly, mostly during prolonged drought, and withheld in winter. No feeding is needed. New plants are started from pads left to callus for a week before setting on dry soil. Fallen pads root where they land, so dropped segments are gathered to limit unwanted spread.

Pruning

Remove pads by cutting cleanly at the joint between segments to shape the clump or limit its spread. Damaged or diseased pads are cut out at the joint. Detached pads root readily, so they are cleared rather than left on the soil.