Opuntia fragilis 'Potato'

Potato Dwarf Prickly Pear

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 14256

Zones: 4a to 8b, at least

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 3" tall

Culture: Sun

Origin: United States

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


(aka: Opuntia debreczyi, Opuntia fragilis var. denudata) To borrow some 1970s lingo, you've gotta check out this pad. We usually don't use the word cute to describe a prickly pear cactus, but Opuntia 'Potato' is the exception. This western Colorado form of the dwarf Opuntia fragilis forms a tightly clustering clump of thumb-sized near-spineless pads, eventually forming a 3" tall x 2' wide patch. This tremendous rock garden specimen also takes on a lovely winter blush of purple in cold weather. Opuntia 'Potato' is grown for its foliage and form, but it also occasionally produces bright yellow flowers in late spring.