Opuntia santa-rita
(Opuntia violacea santa-rita,
Opuntia violacea)
Common: Santa Rita prickly pear, Purple prickly pear
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Texas to Arizona, northern Mexico (Coahuila, Durango)
Sunset zone: 8-9, 12-24. USDA 8-10.
Light: Full sun
Soil: Sandy or gravelly soil
Water: Little or no water once established
Temperature: Hardy in Phoenix
Succulent to four feet high, six feet across.
Stem is a greenish blue, pink or pale violet-purple color, and is thin, flat and almost round.
Flowers bloom in spring and are entirely pale yellow, including the centers. They are 3-1/2 inches wide.
Fruit is red and purplish in color, smooth, slender and 1-1/2 inches long with a diameter of 3/4 inches.
Propogation by seeds or cuttings.