Old Mexico Prickly PearA Stately Heritage Cactus with Bold Yellow Blooms The Classic Prickly Pear for Phoenix Landscapes Old Mexico Prickly Pear (Opuntia gomei) is a large, stately prickly pear prized for its bold yellow orange blooms, graceful pad structure, and exceptional toughness. Native to northern Mexico and the arid American Southwest, this heritage variety has been admired for generations for its dramatic scale and reliable spring flower display. Reaching 35 feet

contained form and minimal leaf drop make Beaked Yucca an excellent poolside plant

Late spring (April–June in Phoenix)

attractive evergreen foliage and fragrant white blossoms

on a zone watered more generously than a desert-native bed

Will it grow in heavy caliche soil

Trailing Dalea Mature Height 1–2 feet Mature Width 4–6 feet Growth Rate Fast — 1–2 feet per year once established in Phoenix Sun Full sun (6+ hrs)

Check for caliche: Break through hardpan with a digging bar for drainage

Mulch — gravel mulch is ideal

Plant 8–10 feet from the pool edge to give the canopy room to spread while keeping the pool area clean

the leaves may develop a stress blush of copper-red

Blue Cape Plumbago: cool sky-blue flowers contrast beautifully with the soft yellow bloom

Use its 4 to 5 ft screen spacing or give it room as a focal point: