A big, bold prickly pear from Mexico with thick, round blue-gray pads that can grow as large as a dinner plate. It is very drought tolerant and builds into a dramatic, sculptural mass that holds its own in a large desert garden.
Living with it in the Phoenix Valley
Watering
Follow the cactus guidance in our Landscape Care guide, which means watering by hand only when the plant needs it. Established plants need very little. Too much water makes heavy, soft pads that can snap under their own weight.
Pruning
Remove a few pads now and then to keep the plant balanced. Heavy, lopsided growth can break or topple, especially in monsoon storms. Use tongs and thick gloves.
Spines
Spininess varies from plant to plant. All have glochids, so handle it with care.
How our designers use it
Bold sculpture
Its huge round pads read as sculpture, so our designers give it a stage: against a plain wall, in gravel or at the end of a view.
Large-scale gardens
It fills space in big desert landscapes and slopes where a small cactus would be lost.
Blue contrast
The blue-gray pads pair well with red yucca, globe mallow and other warm-colored plants.
Good to know
Around the pool
Spines, glochids and dropped fruit all argue against planting it near a pool deck or path. Give it plenty of room so you are not pruning it back from walkways.
