Beavertail cactus

Sun

Full sun; flowering is best with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

Water

Very low once established. Let the soil dry completely between waterings; keep almost dry in winter.

Soil

Sharply drained sandy or gravelly soil. In containers, use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with unobstructed drainage holes.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Flowers

Spring to early summer; bright rose-pink to magenta flowers, each opening briefly.

Foliage

Evergreen. Flattened, oval, blue-grey to grey-green stem pads, sometimes flushed purple in cold or drought. Usually without long spines, but densely dotted with clusters of tiny, barbed bristles called glochids.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.8 ft (0.25 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.8 ft (0.26 m)

3. After 2 years

   0.9 ft (0.26 m)

4. After 3 years

   0.9 ft (0.27 m)

5. After 5 years

   0.9 ft (0.28 m)

About 8 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Invasive in

Australia

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant on a raised mound or slope where water drains away quickly.
• Water newly planted specimens sparingly during warm weather, allowing the soil to dry completely between soakings.
• Use gravel around the base rather than moisture-holding organic mulch.
• Feed container plants lightly with cactus fertilizer once in spring; established plants in the ground usually need none.
• In wet or cold climates, grow in a movable container and overwinter somewhere bright, dry and frost-protected.
• Handle with tongs and folded newspaper; ordinary gardening gloves may not stop the tiny bristles.

Pruning. In late spring or early summer, remove damaged pads or reduce spread by cutting cleanly at a pad joint. Work in dry weather and keep fresh cuts dry while they heal.

Early spring

Inspect for soft, discoloured pads and check that drainage holes and gravel around the base are clear.

Spring

Plant or repot as active growth begins; gradually acclimatize overwintered plants to full outdoor sun.

Late spring

Remove damaged pads and take pad cuttings during dry weather.

Summer

Check container moisture, watering thoroughly only after the mix has dried completely.

Autumn

Reduce watering and move containers under cover before persistent rain or temperatures below their tolerance.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants bright and nearly dry; avoid feeding.

• Plant in a raised gravel bed with boulders to show off its low, sculptural pads.
• Group with small agaves and drought-tolerant perennials for contrasting shapes and spring colour.
• Use in a broad, shallow container with excellent drainage on a sunny terrace, away from seating and foot traffic.
• Place in a southwestern native planting where its flowers provide a strong seasonal accent.

Garden styles it suits: Desert modern, Desert / xeriscape, Dry gravel garden, Southwestern, California native and Architectural minimal.

Plant it with: Red yucca, Parry's agave, Blackfoot daisy, Desert marigold, Indian ricegrass and Brittlebush.

Wildlife: Flowers attract native bees, including cactus-specialist bees within its native range. Desert animals may eat pads or fruit; keep domestic animals away because of the barbed bristles.

• Root or pad rot in wet soil: improve drainage, stop watering and remove affected tissue; salvage healthy pads if the base is rotten.
• Cochineal scale, seen as white cottony patches: isolate container plants and remove small infestations with a firm water jet during warm, drying weather.
• Mealybugs on pads or roots: isolate affected pots, remove visible insects and repot in clean mix if roots are infested.
• Sun scorch after moving outdoors: introduce plants to direct sun gradually over one to two weeks; damaged patches will not turn green again.

Not known to be chemically toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. However, the tiny barbed bristles on pads, flowers and fruit can cause painful skin irritation and serious injury to eyes or the mouth if touched or eaten.

Where it spreads. In Australia, this species falls within the regulated opuntioid cactus group, which is designated a Weed of National Significance. Sale, movement and cultivation restrictions vary by state or territory; check local rules before obtaining or propagating it.

• Bunny ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys)

  Usually has greener pads with conspicuous, regularly spaced yellow or white bristle tufts and yellow flowers, rather than blue-grey pads and pink flowers.

• Santa Rita prickly pear (Opuntia santa-rita)

  Usually grows taller, has rounder pads that often turn strongly purple, and bears yellow flowers; some pads carry long spines.

• Engelmann's prickly pear (Opuntia engelmannii)

  Forms a much larger shrub with larger pads, usually prominent long spines, and yellow to orange flowers.

The common name refers to the broad, flattened pads resembling a beaver's tail, while basilaris means basal, referring to its growth from near the base.

Propagation. Detach a healthy mature pad at its joint in late spring or summer. Let the cut dry and callus in an airy, shaded place for about one to two weeks, then set the base shallowly into dry, gritty mix; water sparingly as roots develop. Seed is slower and may germinate irregularly.

Accepted botanical name

Opuntia basilaris

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Arizona, California, Mexico Northwest, Nevada and Utah.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.