Found just above the cluster of regular spines, glochids are yellow or red in color and detach easily from the pads. Glochids are often difficult to see and more difficult to remove, once lodged in the skin. Because of the glochids, great care is required when harvesting or preparing prickly pear cactus. Most require course, well-drained soil in dry, rocky flats or slopes. Description Most prickly pear cactus have yellow, red or purple flowers, even among the same species.
Pads can vary in width, length, shape and color.
The Beavertail, Santa Rita and Blind Pear are regarded as spineless, but all have glochids. In addition to the North American native prickly pear cactus listed below, there are many varieties, non-native imports and hybrids, so identification can often be difficult. Information on the 15 species below is based on wild, non-cultivated samples.