
Arizona cactuses during sunset in the McDowell Mountains. (Getty Images/Unsplash)
Although they’re all beautiful, the 10 most common Arizona cactuses each have distinct characteristics that may help you identify which is which.
Look out your window. Go on. What do you see? If it isn’t a cityscape, more than likely, you’re looking out onto a desert landscape that has at least one—if not two, three, or four—different types of cactuses. That’s Arizona for ya.
Saguaros are iconic with their friendly or aggressive look—is it a middle finger or arms for a hug?—but beyond that, most locals struggle to identify exactly which succulent they are admiring. If you want to impress others while hiking, play tour guide, or just generally be able to decipher which cactus is which, read on to learn the distinguishing features of the 10 most common Arizona cactuses.
Saguaro
Most of us know what a saguaro is. Not only is it the state flower, it also happens to be the icon for the southwest in general. In case you never knew the name of it though (no shame!), the Saguaro cactus stands tall and proud, sprouting first beneath a mesquite or palo verde tree. After 10 years of sprouting, it grows erect towards the sun, sprouting arms beginning at about 60 years of age. The arms bloom big white flowers year-round. A Saguaro is noticeable by its tall stature, the arms that can make it look like it wants to embrace or flip you off, and the large flower at the top of each arm.
Violet Prickly Pear
Also known as the Santa Rita cactus, the edible paddles have a delightful purple and green hue with edible–yet very small–prickly pears at the top of each paddle. The mini fruits begin as small yellow flowers until they reach maturity and turn into pears that are about the size of golf balls. Recognize this cactus by the flat purple paddles and the yellow flowers/small prickly pears.
Arizona Barrel
There are many distinct forms of this cactus, but they all share similar attributes. The barrel cactus is short and stout, resembling something akin to a tiny whiskey barrel. While they can technically reach a height of 10 feet, most linger around the 2-3 feet stage, typically thick enough to touch all sides of a toddler-sized hula hoop. The top of the cactus is more like a crown with sprouting yellowish-orange flowers. Pull one of the flowers upright, and you will expose a small fruit that can be eaten or planted as a seed! In fact, the entire cactus is edible and is described as having a likeness to pineapple. One common type of barrel cactus is the fishhook barrel, which has all of the same qualities as listed, but also includes spines (the pokey part) that almost looks like plastic fish hooks!
Teddy Bear Cholla
My stepdaughter and I love playing a game while road-tripping where we figure out if we’re looking at Teddy Bear Cholla or Joshua Trees. Both have some telltale features, but from afar, they could be very close siblings. The Teddy Bear Cholla is definitely not for cuddles like the name suggests, as its crazy yellow spines grow in thick abundance, nearly looking like hair. And that hair will stick to everything. Everything. Don’t walk through the desert in shorts, or a Teddy Bear Cholla just might get you. Other ways to recognize it include climate and stature. It prefers growing on slopes in arid areas. It can grow one to five feet tall and includes a trunk–hence the reason it can look similar to Joshua Trees. This cholla grows wide, looking similar to a bush with subtle greenish-colored flowers. While the stems are technically edible, they are on the smaller side, the width not much more than a roll of quarters.
Old Man
“Get off my lawn!” While this cactus certainly won’t yell at you—if it does, please drink water because you’re hallucinating—it certainly looks like a white-haired old man. Up to 20 feet in height, this cactus is a single column of a cactus, distinguishable by its combination of spines. Not only is it covered in the sharp and strong spines that are common among other cactuses, but it is also doused with soft spines that look like wispy white hair—hence its name. That, and it likes to yell. Please remember to hydrate.
Santa Cruz Beehive
Technically a type of barrel cactus, these tiny cactuses grow in clusters of up to 50! They are tiny, round, and produce beautiful flowers that can range in color from yellow to red to lavender to white. They look like the little baby version of a barrel cactus but in a herd of relatives. Just like hives of bees, these grow together in groups, clusters, or a hive.
Senita
This is a common landscaping cactus that I have seen all over the Valley, including in front of parking garages and firehouses! This is a tall, cylindrical cactus that is grayish-green in color and has multiple arms growing from the base. It has ribbed stems and is usually upwards of 10 feet tall! It only has spines along the raised edges of each arm, which makes it incredibly recognizable and a little less intimidating than other cactuses.
Organ Pipe
This tall cactus has the look of a candelabra with its many slender arms. Growing up to 26 feet tall, the Organ Pipe is used for privacy or as fencing in landscaping. It has a similar build to Senita cactuses: tall and slender with arms that grow from the base. There are two distinguishing differences, though. First, the Organ Pipe Cactus is covered in dense brown spines. Second, this cactus produces a night-blooming flower that is pollinated by bats and turns into a sweet red fruit.
San Pedro
Another columnar cactus, some may recognize the San Pedro cactus from ceremonies or other mental journeys. It is most easily identified by how fast it grows, which is typically up to 20 inches annually! In case you don’t have time to watch it grow, other notable features include the small bumps with spines that grow down the ribs and the large white flower that grows at the top of the cactus. Unlike the other column cactuses, this flower is noticeably large and paper white. Chances are, you’ve seen this cactus around.
Indian Fig/Prickly Pear
Indian fig, cactus pear, prickly pear, tuna. No matter what you call it, this is the cactus that produces the large, edible fruit that is often turned into Southwest candies and syrups or eaten as a hangover remedy. There are a surprising amount of essential vitamins and minerals in just one fruit. In fact, this cactus is completely edible and includes large paddles called nopales, and can vary in the number of spines that grow on each paddle from excessive to few and far between. The one in my yard looks nearly bald and void of spines, though it’s all trickery as there are some fine, hairlike spikes. This cactus is the easiest to identify because of the large fruits growing at the top. If you haven’t guessed, when the fruit isn’t in season, the paddles grow glorious flowers that range in color!
Even if you have lived in Arizona your entire life, hopefully, you now feel more confident about how to identify some of the major cactuses of our stunning state. From columns to hives to paddles, there are some unique and notable features that differentiate the cactuses that make our natural landscape so unique and iconic.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
READ MORE: 16 edible & medicinal plants in Arizona

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