Pronounciation: O-PUN-tee-a my-crow-DAY-sis

Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-24
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Cactus rock gardens, small scale cactus ground cover, succulent accent, container plant, even street medians.

Form & Character: Mostly prostrate and spreading, visually attractive and cuddley (like a bunny rabbit), but oh how dangerous it really is!

Growth Habit: Evergreen, succulent perennial, moderate to 2-feet tall, but faster spreading to 8 to 10 feet in diameter. Spread controlled when in container.

Foliage/Texture: Fleshy, flattened segmented stems are jointed into orbicular to oblong clades, 6-inches across. New clades are generally reddish changing to medium or dark green. Areoles on clades are close set with many white, yellow, or rusty brown glochids in a conspicuous tuft, rarely with a short yellow spine. Smaller new clades atop older larger lades often arise in pairs that give the appearance of 'rabbit ears', thus the origin of the common name; moderately coarse textured.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers are white, yellow or magenta-pink red, 1.5- to 2-inches across on terminal ends of pads, fruit oblong, red, subglobose.

Seasonal Color: Flowers during mid spring (late April to May) according to the calendar, which is seasonally early summer in lower southwestern deserts.

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun best, but will tolerate partial shade.

Soil: Well drained to dry soils.

Watering: Rarely after establishment.

Pruning: Prune only to control spread.

Propagation: Stem sections that are first allowed to callus take root easily.

Disease and Pests: Root rot if soils are chronically wet and poorly drained.

Additional comments: Bunny ears cactus is an excellent small-scale, prostrate and spreading succulent cactus for use in desert gardens as a ground cover. Opuntia microdasys var. albasplina has white glochids, Opuntia microdasys subspecies rufida has glochids that are more rusty brown colored. And here's a bunny ears called Opuntia microdasys var. pallida forma cristata with yellow glochids and fastigiated stem pads...very cool!!!