The Ornamental Prickly Pear Industry in the Southwestern United States

Several species of prickly pear cacti are grown as ornamental plants in public, private, residential, and commercial landscapes throughout the more arid areas of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. Several commercial nurseries, ranging in size from small family-owned specialty operations to large diversified wholesale nurseries, produce and sell prickly pear cacti. The greatest nursery production occurs in Arizona, followed by southern California. In Arizona, there are over 40 small commercial operations in the Phoenix area alone. A survey of Arizona nurseries revealed an inventory of 550,000 prickly pear plants on hand with wholesale and retail values of $4.5 million and $9.5 million, respectively. If prickly pear cacti were lost as a viable nursery crop, small specialized nursery operations would be more likely to suffer than large diversified nurseries.