Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrorhiza): A Tuberous-Rooted, Yellow-Flowered Cactus

Opuntia macrorhiza, the Plains Prickly Pear, Delicate Prickly Pear, or Starvation Prickly Pear, is a low, sprawling cactus with a distinctive thick, tuberous root (hence "macrorhiza"). Its pads are small, blue-green, and spiny. It produces large, showy, yellow flowers with red centers in early summer, followed by red fruit. This widespread North American native is extremely cold-hardy and drought-tolerant.