[Cacti East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Columbia Pricklypear, Columbia Prickly Pear, Hairspine Pricklypear, Many-spined pricklypear, Prickly Pear Cactus, Starvation Cactus

Opuntia x columbiana

Synonyms: Opuntia erinacea var. columbiana, Opuntia fragilis X polyacantha, Opuntia polyacantha, Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha

Columbia pricklypear as seen along the Snake River Road north of Rogersburg, WA.........May 24, 2010.

Characteristics:

Stems flattened, somewhat pear-shaped with long, needle-sharp spines. Flowers very showy, cup-like, with many petals and stamens. Flowers commonly yellow but include peach, orange, and bright red.

Habitat:

From the plains and foothils in sandy or rocky soils, often where the land is disturbed.

Range:

From southern British Columbia south along the eastern edge of the Cascade Mts into eastern Oregon, east to Arizona and Texas in the south and Alberta in the north.

Additional close-up photos of Columbia pricklypear as seen along the Snake River Road north of Rogersburg, WA......May 24, 2010.

Columbia pricklypear as seen next to a vernally moist stream along Smoothing Iron Road about two-thirds of a mile downhill to the east of the Smoothing Iron Ranch, Asotin Wildlife Area, Asotin County, WA.....June 4, 2017.

Paul Slichter