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Lytle, Melody
Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck
Cactus apple
Cactaceae (Cactus Family)
USDA Symbol: OPEN3
USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.
The species of this plant is named for George Engelmann (1809-1884) who was born in Germany and settled in St. Louis, Missouri, as a young man. He was a physician and botanist, describing especially North American Abies (Firs), Agaves, Cactus (for which he described more than 108 species), Cuscuta (Dodder), Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family), Juncus (Rushes), Juniperus (“Cedar”), Pinus (Pines), Vitis (Grapes), and Yuccas. When he died much of his collection went to Missouri Botanical Garden.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Cactus/Succulent
Size Notes: Up tp 4ft 9in high; joints are broadly oval, 8in-1ft long.
Flower: Flowers up to about 2 inches diameter.
Fruit:
Size Class: 3-6 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Diurnal
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , LA , MO , MS , NM , NV , OK , TX , UTNative Distribution: Widespread in Mexico and southern US states.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Heat Tolerant: yes
Conditions Comments: Minimum temperature 50F
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesThis information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Mr. Smarty Plants says
Edible plants native to Austin, TX
August 05, 2009
Hello,
I am a chef from Buenos Aires Argentina visiting Austin, Texas and would like to learn about native, edible plants in the region.
Please let me know if there are any native, edible plants...
view the full question and answer
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
NPSOT - Fredericksburg Chapter - Fredericksburg, TX
Jacob's Well Natural Area - Wimberley, TX
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-200 Collected 2007-11-21 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Recommended Species Lists
Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.
View Recommended Species pageAdditional resources
USDA: Find Opuntia engelmannii in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Opuntia engelmannii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Opuntia engelmannii
Metadata
Record Modified: 2008-08-27Research By: TWC Staff
