Opuntia macrocentra populations of "Opuntia macrocentra" are found in Arizona, New Mexico, Southwestern Texas, and Northwestern Mexico. This cacti is a slow growing perennial that inhabits a wide range of soil substrates and habitat types. It can be found below the elevation of 5000 ft in areas of sandy desert flats, rocky hills, or valley grasslands. "Opuntia macrocentra" is an upright spreading shrub, usually growing from tall. Individuals occasionally reach in height. The stem is blue-gray, blue-green, or purplish in color. The purple pad color is the most intense at the edges of the pad or around the areoles. The purple color
Opuntia ficus-indica limit of prickly pear is above 50 °C. As the fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica are delicate, they need to be carefully harvested by hand. The small spines on the fruits are removed by rubbing them on an abrasive surface or sweeping them through grass. Before consumption, they are peeled and sliced. The pads of the plant (mainly used as fodder) also need to be harvested by hand. The pads are cut with a knife, detaching the pad from the plant in the joint. If Opuntia ficus-indica is cultivated for forage production, spineless cultivars are preferred. However, also wild types of