Opuntia basilaris Beavertail Cactus - Santa Rita prickly pear cactus

 All cactuses here are on sale

Opuntia basilaris Beavertail Cactus - Beavertail Prickly Pear; Santa Rita prickly pear cactus

  My Cactus Plants for sale

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Opuntia basilaris Beavertail Cactus is a smaller Prickly Pear Cactus. Distinguishing traits. With its distinctive purple coloring, it is easy to see why Santa Rita prickly pear is one of the most popular prickly pear species for Southwestern gardens. Older specimens will often retain their purple coloring throughout the year.Rare and exotic cactus plants High quality cactus plants for sale Buy cactus plant Best Prices

  Announce!!! 

I created a new page “New offers” only for my customers and people who want to be my cuastomer. In the page you find very good offer for new rare cactus seedling (some of them are rarity). 

The prices in this page are 20% to 30% less than on other pages in my website.

“New offers” is protected by password. No one can open it. 

If you like to see the offers, send me email to the address: mikglad@cox.net with Subject: "New offer" and I'll email you the Login information. It is not necessary to buy something.

If you want to get a Newsletter ons a month email me with Subject: "All about cacti"

I will renew the page when I have new species for sale. So, time to time you can open the page and see what is on sale.

I will use your email only for answer your questions. 

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MyCactusPlants.com San Diego, CA provides Rare cactus plants, indoor cactus plants, desert cactus plants. If you interested where to buy a cactus, buy cactus here. Our cacti have a high quality. We inspect every cactus before realization.

To better choosing what cactus to buy, we supply cacti for sale with quality cactus plants pictures.

Opuntia basilaris Beavertial Cactus; Santa Rita prickly pear cactus

Distinguishing traits. With its distinctive purple coloring, it is easy to see why Santa Rita prickly pear is one of the most popular prickly pear species for Southwestern gardens. Older specimens will often retain their purple coloring throughout the year.

The Beaver-tail Cactus is a smaller prickly pear cactus, and it will often start blooming when it has only two pads

 Opuntia basilaris plant (Santa Rita prickly pear cactus)



For sale $10.00 USD Out of stock

Common Name(s): Beavertail Cactus, Santa Rita

The Beaver-tail Cactus is a smaller prickly pear cactus, and it will often start blooming when it has only two pads. Beware that the glochids (these little barbed bristles organized in clusters) can penetrate the skin.

Very good for landscaping as well as for windowsill 

 Opuntia basilaris seedlings

Seedlings have a strong root system. They more stable to rot than rooted segments..

We have two years old Opuntia basilaris seedlings for sale.  Out of stock

Opuntia basilaris (Santa Rita prickly pear cactus)

Common Name(s): Beavertail Cactus, Santa Rita

The Beaver-tail Cactus is a smaller prickly pear cactus, and it will often start blooming when it has only two pads. Beware that the glochids (these little barbed bristles organized in clusters) can penetrate the skin.

$12.00 USD New price $9.20


Very good for landscaping as well as for windowsill 

Description of Opuntia basilaris

Family: Cactaseae

Scientific Name: Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & Bigelow

Common Name(s): Beavertail Cactus - Beavertail Prickly Pear (Referring to the pads that remember the tail of a beaver). Santa Rita prickly pear cactus

Origin: Southwest USA (Arizona, California, Nevada) from 200 to 3000 feet elevation (60 to 900 m), northwestern Mexico (northern Baja California and northern Sonora)

Conservation Status: Listed in CITES Appendix II

Etymology: The genus name "Opuntia" refers to a Greek name used by Pliny for a diverse plant which grew in the region of the town of Opus in Greece.
(The genus name implies: “plant of the town of Opus).
The species name "basilaris" derives from the Latin
"basilis" which means basal and the suffix "-aris". ( The specific name implies: "from the base, basal").

Description: This is a smaller prickly pear, branching upwards to 30cm (60 cm) high in clumps up to 90cm (1.2 m) in diameter.

The Beaver-tail Cactus will often start blooming when it has only two pads. Beware that the glochids (these little barbed bristles organized in clusters) can penetrate the skin.
In the wild, its principal range is limited to the Mojave-Colorado desert.

Succulent to 2 feet tall (60 cm), 4 feet spread (1.2 m); green or slightly purplish segments 3.2 to 5.6 inches long (8-14 cm), 1.6 to 4 inches wide (4-10 cm), glabrous or slightly pubescent; slightly pleated during the dry season; areoles, many with white or brown wool and brownish glochids; occasional spine in the upper areoles, or spineless.

Stalk: Oval to roundish blue-gray-green, with a blush of purple pigmentation (due to the presence of betacyanins pigments) that vary in function of temperature, glabrous or slightly covered with a velvety pubescence, smooth to wrinkled in dry conditions. New pads stretching from the lower areas of the plant.

Glochids: While lacking spines the plant is well protected with copious and effective glochids that fill each areole and easily penetrate the skin.

Spines: Usually spineless, if a few spines are present they are confined to the upper rim of the pad.

Central (S):

Radial (S):

Areolas: Numerous with white or brown wool (3 mm of diameter), filled with brownish-reddish clustered bristles 3mm long (glochids).

Flowers: The beaver tail cactus has 2.6-3 inches wide (6-7 cm), fuchsia colored flowers in March-April. The spineless fruit is dry when ripe. The seeds are 0.24 to 0.4 inch in diameter (6-10 mm)  

Fruits: Spineless, globular to obovate 4cm long. Tan grey and dry at maturity, areoles 24–76 usually puberulent. The fruits can be cooked, as well as the pads.  

Seeds: Large, rounded, smooth, cream colored, 0.5 to 1cm in diameter.

Habitat: Grows in very arid plains and valleys (rainfall mostly in winter from 200 to 500 mm/year) in sand y or rocky soils with a basic pH (Ranges 6 to 8), from sea level to 1300m

Recommended Temperature Zone: USDA: 7-10

Sun Exposure: Full sun

 Water Needs: little or no water once established, in its natural distribution area, it receives mostly winter rains.

 

Cultivation: Best to grow in very fast draining mineral soils this plant is very rot prone, needs little water once established, avoid acid soils rich in humus or clayey. Tolerates sand. Keep dry in winter.
Frost Tolerance: Hardy to -5°: Sun Exposure:
They need maximum light exposure in full sun. Avoid shadow. Handle with precautions to avoid the prickly glochids, besides the blue pruina that cover the cladodes may be allergenic for same people.

Soil pH requirements:

 Min Temperature: Frost Tolerance: Hardy to 0°F (-18°C)

Propagation Methods: Cuttings, or seeds

Seed Collecting:

Other: Plant from different places of origin are somewhat variable in coloration, growth habit, pubescence, and flower color.

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