SucculentsSanta Rita Prickly Pear
Opuntia santa-rita
Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia santa-rita) is a medium-growing succulent, hardy in USDA zones 8-11, that matures to about 3-20 ft. It does best in full sun with low water needs in well-drained, occasionally-dry and very-dry soil. Expect yellow, orange and purple blooms in summer. It attracts bees, butterflies and songbirds, stands up well to deer, drought and heat, grows happily in containers.
- USDA zones
- 8-11
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 3-20 ft
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained, Occasionally-dry, Very-dry
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Orange, Purple, Red
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Songbirds
- Tough against
- Deer, Drought, Heat, Salt
- Native to
- North and South America
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Santa Rita Prickly Pear is hardy to about 10°F (estimated from USDA zone 8), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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