- Opuntia, commonly called the Prickly Pear Cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers - Prickly Pear Cacti are iconic, hardy staples of the southern Arizona landscape, featuring wide, flat pads and edible red fruits ("tunas") that ripen in summer - The most common species is the Engelmann Prickly Pear (Opuntia Engelmannii), which blooms with yellow flowers in late spring - These drought-resistant plants thrive in rocky, sandy, or wash-like habitats, often growing 5 feet tall and up to 15 feet wide