SEEDS for Rare Sonoran Purple Prickly Pear ~ Opuntia Gosseliniana ~ Pink Desert Cactus from Tucson Arizona~ Rare Native Extreme Purple Plant

This is a listing for the SEEDS for Rare Sonoran Purple Prickly Pear ~ Opuntia Gosseliniana ~ Pink Desert Cactus from Tucson Arizona~ Rare Native Extreme Purple Plant

Opuntia Gosseliniana, the Original Sonoran Purple Prickly Pear:
This is a wild variety (o chlorotica gosseliniana, different from the common nursery cultivar Santa Rita Purple Prickly Pear (o. chlorotica gosseliniana var. Santa-rita). Santa Rita is a popular cultivar of this rarer variety, liked among commercial growers because it has larger pads, is faster growing, is more pest and disease resistant, and grows into larger tree-like cacti. Sonoran Purple Prickly Pear, the one featured in this listing, is the wild grown variety that is brighter purple pads that keep their purple coloring for longer, in more climates, and has more of a shrub, bordering on tree like growth. It's a bit slower growing and more finicky, but 100% worth it. You can certainly get it to grow either as a potted plant you keep trimmed, a garden shrub, or if you get it big enough, a very nice large statement piece for your garden that's as tall as you are! All pads are legally, ethically and sustainably harvested with permission on private properties in and around Tucson, Arizona. Donations are also made to the Tohono O'odham Nation and Community College on a regular basis from these cactus sales to give back to the folks who took care of this land before we got here.

From opuntiads.com: What is Opuntia chlorotica gosseliniana?
O. chlorotica gosseliniana is one of three varieties along with vars chlorotica and santa-rita within the O. chlorotica complex as described by Ferguson (1988). The three types blend into each other over their range where they overlap. These prickly pear cacti may reach 1 m tall (usually shorter), and are almost always tinted with pink or purple or bluish purple. Like O. chlorotica chlorotica, O. chlorotica gosseliniana has needle-like spines on older trunks and branches. Unlike O. chlorotica chlorotica, O. chlorotica gosseliniana can form multiple ascending branches. This Opuntia variety may have spines in most areoles, only in upper areoles, or in none at all. The slender spines vary from relatively short and stiff to long and flexible, up to 10 cm. Additionally, the spine color varies from cream to bright yellow and through shades of orange- and reddish-brown to nearly black. Flowers are generally yellow from bluntly pointed buds. The stigma lobes are generally pale. Flowers are 5-7.5 cm across. Fruit is elliptical to cylindrical. This variety has smaller and relatively more slender fruit than vars chlorotica and santa-rita. O. chlorotica gosseliniana is diploid. This prickly pear is native to Mexico, and it barely reaches into the United States in far southern Arizona on land of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Thus, it is not commonly encountered. The garden plant often sold as O. santa-rita ‘Tubac’ may actually be a horticultural selection of O. chlorotica gosseliniana.

Please Note:
All pads may have slight imperfections and variations in purple shades and colors. They are at their greenest in summer and start to develop their purple flushing in winter- a combination of cold, lack of water, and sun exposure, all things that cause “stress”, will give the plant its deepest purple coloring. Pricing is adjusted seasonally when their coloring changes. Rooted Starter Pads are often a little less purple because they are placed out of direct sun while rooting.

*Please note*
All orders come with generalized care and handling instructions for cactus and cuttings (also labels for each plant if purchasing an assortment or mystery box) but it is the buyer's responsibility to look up proper care for their specific plants and do their own additional research. All spiky cactus orders will come with a separate clear warning label about spines and handling. It is recommended to have metal tongs available for handling - cactus are like spiky velcro and will stick to gloves and clothing, and glochids will embed themselves, but can easily be rinsed or brushed off of metal tongs. Open away from children and curious pets.