{"id":"opuntia","license":"CC-BY-4.0","data":{"scientificName":"Opuntia","commonNames":["Prickly pear cactus"],"taxonRank":"genus","acceptedName":"Opuntia","family":"Cactaceae","ids":{"usdaSymbol":"OPUNT","gbifKey":3084187,"itisTsn":19686,"wikidataQid":"Q158991","inatTaxonId":47902},"usdaZoneMin":"4a","usdaZoneMax":"9b","zoneSource":"pnw590","states":["ID","OR","WA"],"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"4","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"pnw-590","sourceRecordId":"perennials:Prickly pear cactus","sourceTaxon":"Opuntia spp.","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Prickly pear cactus profile, USDA hardiness zones field","sourceVersion":"2023-10","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"}],"plantForm":"perennial","photo":{"file":"/images/plants/opuntia.jpg","sourceUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/60162512","observationUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37905713","license":"cc-by","attribution":"(c) Clifton Ladd, C.W.B., some rights reserved (CC BY)","fetchedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},"evidence":[{"source":"pnw-590","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"listed fire-resistant","edition":"2023","url":"https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/pnw-590-fire-resistant-plants-home-landscapes","documentDate":"2023-10-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-b921","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"L flammability","claims":"Native to sand dunes in Ohio; intolerant of poor drainage; has spiny stems.","edition":"2006","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20070714035936/http://www.firewise.org/usa/files/ohio_plantlist.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"va-firescapes","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"L flammability","claims":"Native to arid regions, but very climate adaptable. Has spiny stems.","edition":"2009","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ut-sp685","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"listed Firewise plant","original":"va-firescapes","url":"https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/SP685.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ua-az1289","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"listed FIREWISE plant material","claims":"Listed among fire-resistant plant materials for Arizona above 3,000 feet.","edition":"2011 revision","url":"https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1289.pdf","documentDate":"2011-12-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-em-9103","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"fire-resistant plants that thrive in Willamette Valley growing conditions","claims":"The shrubs & woody vines profile lists Opuntia spp. as Cholla and Prickly Pear Cactus. The profile prints USDA Hardiness Zone: Varies by species.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Cholla and Prickly Pear Cactus profile (PDF page 120)","scheme":"osu-em-9103-profile"},"edition":"EM 9103, February 2015","url":"https://www.canbyfire.org/files/074d2a9e3/Fire-Resistant-Plants_Willamette-Valley.pdf","documentDate":"2015-02-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-plant-profile-galleries","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"Choose the right perennial plants for your fire-resistant landscape","claims":"The Prickly pear cactus profile prints Opuntia spp.. The gallery points to PNW 590 for complete details.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Prickly pear cactus — Opuntia spp.","scheme":"osu-2023-perennials-gallery"},"edition":"November 2023 educational gallery","url":"https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gallery/fire-resistant-plant-profiles-perennials","documentDate":"2023-11-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"csu-6305","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"ignitability score 10 of 10","score":{"value":10,"scale":"idaho-0-10"},"claims":"CSU 6.305 table lists Opuntia spp. (prickly pear) with the preserved ignitability score.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"suitable for defensible-space zones 1-2 (score 8+)","scheme":"csu-hiz"},"edition":"2025","url":"https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CSFS_CSU-Ext_Fact-Sheets_IRLP_2025_081825-2_web_accessible.pdf","documentDate":"2025-07-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"yavapai-34","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"Fire-Resistant Plants","claims":"Listed as Cholla — Opuntia sp.. The bulletin says fire-resistant plants tend to resist ignition when irrigated and maintained, while fire-prone plants may ignite readily and burn intensely.","plantPart":"whole-plant","edition":"v1.2","url":"https://www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf","documentDate":"2025-03-14T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"very low","claims":"The table rates Cactus, Prickly Pear — Opuntia species very low for flammability hazard, defined as the ease a plant can burn at high temperatures for a prolonged time.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Yuccas/Agaves/Succulents/Cacti/Sotols","scheme":"Sun City plant-table sections"},"edition":"updated January 14, 2015","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","documentDate":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"relatively resistant to fire","claims":"Listed as Opuntia spp. (Prickly Pear). The source says listed species exhibit stronger resistance to ignition by wildfires. Source comments: Native to arid regions, but is very adaptable. Has spiny stems","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Ground Covers","scheme":"Maryland Firewise plant-form tables"},"edition":"2015 archived PDF","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250408035155/https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/documents/fire/firewise_plants.pdf","documentDate":"2015-01-08T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"}],"flammabilityClass":"fire-resistant","ratingReason":"consensus","recommendation":"on-list","author":"grayson-graham","reviewStatus":"draft","lastVerified":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","reviewNotes":"Photo auto-selected (top-voted iNat); human review pending."},"localAssessmentInputs":{"stateDistribution":["ID","OR","WA"],"nativeStates":[],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"documented-occurrence","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["ID","OR","WA"]},"provenance":"legacy-field"}],"usdaZoneMin":"4a","usdaZoneMax":"9b","hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"4","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"pnw-590","sourceRecordId":"perennials:Prickly pear cactus","sourceTaxon":"Opuntia spp.","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Prickly pear cactus profile, USDA hardiness zones field","sourceVersion":"2023-10","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}],"hardinessSelection":{"status":"selected","assertion":{"minimum":"4","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"pnw-590","sourceRecordId":"perennials:Prickly pear cactus","sourceTaxon":"Opuntia spp.","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Prickly pear cactus profile, USDA hardiness zones field","sourceVersion":"2023-10","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},"assertions":[{"minimum":"4","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"pnw-590","sourceRecordId":"perennials:Prickly pear cactus","sourceTaxon":"Opuntia spp.","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Prickly pear cactus profile, USDA hardiness zones field","sourceVersion":"2023-10","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}]},"invasiveIn":[],"statusAssertions":[],"fireEvidenceClass":"fire-resistant","recommendation":"on-list","fireSourceScopes":[{"source":"csu-6305","sourceName":"Ignition-Resistant Landscape Plants (Fact Sheet 6.305)","sourceUrl":"https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CSFS_CSU-Ext_Fact-Sheets_IRLP_2025_081825-2_web_accessible.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CO"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado State Forest Service publish Fact Sheet 6.305 for Colorado's WUI and varied ecosystems. FireApproved exposes all 114 exact source owners at Colorado publication scope while retaining score, elevation, water, and Idaho-carrier lineage. Publication scope is not suitability for every Colorado site or zone.","sourceVersion":"CSFS-CSU-Fact-Sheet-6.305-2025-07","asOf":"2025-07-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250408035155/https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/documents/fire/firewise_plants.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["MD"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Maryland Forest Service says the list contains plants that can be grown in Maryland and identifies Maryland natives. FireApproved publishes 169 exact source owners from the 180 printed rows; an unrepresentable form and duplicate-owner rows are not broadened. The list calls itself non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every Maryland site.","sourceVersion":"Maryland-Firewise-Plants-2015-01-08","asOf":"2015-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/docs/Firewise_Landscaping_Plants_for_NJ.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["NJ"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"New Jersey DEP publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in New Jersey and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every New Jersey site or override the Pinelands Commission's separate placement and fuel-break rules.","sourceVersion":"New-Jersey-Firewise-Landscaping-Plants-archive-2025-09-01"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://wvforestry.com/pdf/Firewise%20Landscaping%20Plants%20for%20WV.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["WV"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"West Virginia Division of Forestry publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in West Virginia and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and provides no comparative or site-specific rating.","sourceVersion":"West-Virginia-DOF-Firewise-Landscaping-Plants-live-2026-08-26","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-b921","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping (OSU Extension Bulletin 921)","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20070714035936/http://www.firewise.org/usa/files/ohio_plantlist.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["OH"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 921 is an Ohio publication that describes Ohio fire seasons and landscape conditions and labels nativity to Ohio. FireApproved publishes 352 exact source-owning plant records from its eight rated tables. This historical publication scope does not assert current extension endorsement or that a listed plant suits every Ohio site.","sourceVersion":"OSU-Extension-Bulletin-921-2006","asOf":"2006-03-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-em-9103","sourceName":"Fire-resistant Landscape Plants for the Willamette Valley (EM 9103)","sourceUrl":"https://www.canbyfire.org/files/074d2a9e3/Fire-Resistant-Plants_Willamette-Valley.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["OR"],"regions":["Willamette Valley"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"OSU Extension says EM 9103 highlights fire-resistant plants that thrive under Willamette Valley growing conditions. FireApproved publishes 172 exact owners only as valley context. The guide shares the PNW 590 lineage and is not a second independent vote or statewide site clearance.","sourceVersion":"OSU-EM-9103-2015-02","asOf":"2015-02-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"pnw-590","sourceName":"Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590)","sourceUrl":"https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/pnw-590-fire-resistant-plants-home-landscapes","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["ID","OR","WA"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The October 2023 joint Pacific Northwest Extension publication explicitly names Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and publishes more than 150 plant profiles. FireApproved has normalized 155 exact plant records from the source; publication scope does not assert that every listed plant suits every site within the three states.","sourceVersion":"PNW-590-October-2023","asOf":"2023-10-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","sourceName":"Firewise Plant Guide","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["TX"],"regions":["Sun City Texas, Georgetown"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The guide is authored for the Sun City Texas community in Georgetown. FireApproved publishes 142 exact owners only as community-level context. It is an archived HOA exhibit with unknown rating lineage, not a current statewide Texas source or an independent Tier 1 determination.","sourceVersion":"Sun-City-Texas-Firewise-guide-2015-01-14","asOf":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ua-az1289","sourceName":"FIREWISE Plant Materials for 3,000 ft. and Higher Elevations (AZ1289)","sourceUrl":"https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1289.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["AZ"],"regions":["Arizona at or above 3,000 feet"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"AZ1289 is explicitly limited to Arizona elevations of 3,000 feet and higher. FireApproved publishes 69 exact owners as regional Arizona context, retaining every water and elevation condition. It is never promoted to statewide low-desert guidance or an independent Tier 1 vote.","sourceVersion":"UA-Extension-AZ1289-2011-12","asOf":"2011-12-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ut-sp685","sourceName":"Landscaping Guidelines to Protect Your Home from Wildfire (SP685)","sourceUrl":"https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/SP685.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["TN"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"University of Tennessee Extension SP685 is Tennessee landscape guidance and publishes 78 represented plant owners. Most table rows are a carrier of Virginia Firescapes rather than an independent rating; Tennessee source scope does not change that lineage or establish site suitability.","sourceVersion":"UT-Extension-SP685-2006-10-24","asOf":"2006-10-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"va-firescapes","sourceName":"Virginia Firescapes — Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes (430-300)","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Virginia Cooperative Extension's publication opens with Virginia wildfire conditions, identifies its Virginia Firewise Landscaping Task Force, and labels plants native to Virginia. FireApproved publishes 306 exact source owners. Publication scope does not establish parcel suitability or current endorsement of this archived 2009 list.","sourceVersion":"Virginia-VCE-430-300-2009","asOf":"2009-04-15T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"yavapai-34","sourceName":"Fire-Resistant and Fire-Prone Plants Common to Yavapai County (Bulletin 34)","sourceUrl":"https://www.extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["AZ"],"regions":["Yavapai County"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"University of Arizona Cooperative Extension authors Bulletin 34 for Yavapai County. FireApproved publishes 198 exact source owners from its resistant and prone tables and keeps the county boundary visible. County publication scope is regional Arizona context, never statewide scope.","sourceVersion":"UA-Yavapai-Bulletin-34-v1.2-2025-03-14","asOf":"2025-03-14T00:00:00.000Z"}],"firePerformanceConditions":[],"maintenanceAssertions":[],"maintenanceConditions":null,"regulatoryReviews":{},"seedReviews":{}},"legacyCompatibilityProjection":{"nativeStates":[],"invasiveIn":[],"usdaZoneMin":"4","usdaZoneMax":"9"},"localAssessmentContract":"Compare each dimension separately. State noxious-weed seed designations are material-scoped and never become non-seed plant restrictions, ecological-invasive findings, nursery restrictions, alternatives, product evidence, or fire votes. Introduced/established context is not an invasive warning. Minimum-only hardiness has no inferred maximum; canonical source-temperature conversion is validated and contradictory applicable rows project no primary zone. L48 context applies only to conterminous states and is never exact-state status. Fire-performance conditions are not maintenance advice. FEIS fire-ecology context does not vote in the plant classification. Absence of a status row is not regulatory clearance."}