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Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf.

Creeping prickly-pear

Native records: 15 botanical areas

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, 12 more areas

See all areas

Natural distribution

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NativeIntroducedUncertain

Distribution is shown as WGSRPD Level 3 areas. It does not imply the species occurs throughout an entire area.

Last updated:

Distribution last verified:

See sources

Photograph of Opuntia humifusa

A succulent subshrub of temperate climates. Native to United States, Mexico.

This entry carries only the classification and distribution data recorded in WCVP. A written account is not yet available.

Distribution areas

  • Andorra

    • SpainIntroduced

  • Armenia

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Australia

    • New South WalesIntroduced
    • QueenslandIntroduced
    • South AustraliaIntroduced
    • VictoriaIntroduced
    • Western AustraliaIntroduced

  • Austria

    • AustriaIntroduced

  • Azerbaijan

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Bhutan

    • East HimalayaIntroduced

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • Bulgaria

    • BulgariaIntroduced

  • China

    • China North-CentralIntroduced

  • Croatia

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • France

    • FranceIntroduced

  • Georgia

    • TranscaucasusIntroduced

  • Germany

    • GermanyIntroduced

  • Gibraltar

    • SpainIntroduced

  • Greece

    • GreeceIntroduced
    • KritiIntroduced

  • Guernsey

    • FranceIntroduced

  • Holy See

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • India

    • East HimalayaIntroduced

  • Isle of Man

    • Great BritainIntroduced

  • Italy

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • Jersey

    • FranceIntroduced

  • Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

    • KoreaIntroduced

  • Korea, Republic of

    • KoreaIntroduced

  • Lebanon

    • Lebanon-SyriaIntroduced

  • Lesotho

    • LesothoIntroduced

  • Liechtenstein

    • AustriaIntroduced

  • Mexico

    • Mexico NortheastNative

  • Moldova, Republic of

    • UkraineIntroduced

  • Monaco

    • FranceIntroduced

  • Montenegro

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • Netherlands, Kingdom of the

    • NetherlandsIntroduced

  • North Macedonia

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • Russian Federation

    • Central European RussiaIntroduced
    • North CaucasusIntroduced

  • San Marino

    • ItalyIntroduced

  • Serbia

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • Slovenia

    • YugoslaviaIntroduced

  • South Africa

    • Free StateIntroduced

  • Spain

    • SpainIntroduced

  • Switzerland

    • SwitzerlandIntroduced

  • Syrian Arab Republic

    • Lebanon-SyriaIntroduced

  • Ukraine

    • UkraineIntroduced

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

    • Great BritainIntroduced

  • United States of America

    • AlabamaNative
    • ConnecticutNative
    • DelawareNative
    • District of ColumbiaNative
    • KentuckyNative
    • MarylandNative
    • MassachusettsNative
    • MississippiNative
    • New HampshireNative
    • New JerseyNative
    • New YorkNative
    • PennsylvaniaNative
    • VirginiaNative
    • West VirginiaNative

Climate of the native range

The Köppen climate classes found in the areas this plant is recorded as native to. It does not mean an entire area has that climate.

  • Cfa Temperate, no dry season, hot summer
  • Dfa Cold, no dry season, hot summer
  • Dfb Cold, no dry season, warm summer
  • BSh Arid, steppe, hot
  • BSk Arid, steppe, cold
  • BWh Arid, desert, hot
  • Cwb Temperate, dry winter, warm summer

The same climate occurs in 141 areas worldwide, 112 of which have no record of this plant. See them on the map

A matching climate does not mean the plant can grow there. Range limits are also set by things other than climate — dispersal history, soils, competition. Source: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0 (observed period 1991–2020).

Recorded medicinal uses

The cited source records medicinal use of this plant. It is not an assessment of efficacy or safety.

  • Opuntia humifusa is recorded as used medicinally.

    Source location: p.226, left column, line 11

    World Checklist of Useful Plant Species · Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) · CC BY 4.0 · source version: wcups-2020-62602715

    Open source

Other names

Creeping prickly-pear、Devil's-Tongue、Eastern Prickly-pear

Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Opuntia

Other species in Opuntia

Sources

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Andorra · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Armenia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Australia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Austria · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Azerbaijan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bulgaria · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bosnia and Herzegovina · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Bhutan · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Switzerland · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    China · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Germany · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Spain · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    France · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Georgia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Guernsey · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Gibraltar · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Greece · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Croatia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Isle of Man · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    India · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Italy · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Jersey · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Korea, Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Lebanon · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Liechtenstein · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Lesotho · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Monaco · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Moldova, Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Mexico · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    North Macedonia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Montenegro · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Netherlands, Kingdom of the · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Russian Federation · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    San Marino · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Serbia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Slovenia · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Syrian Arab Republic · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Ukraine · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    United States of America · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    Holy See · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

  • World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), version 2026-06-04

    South Africa · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · wcvp_distribution.csv

    Open source

Image information

  • Photograph of Opuntia humifusa

    Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, United States · CC BY 3.0 us · File page