Columbia prickly pear

Description:

It rarely grows more than 12” tall but will spread into mats many feet across. The flowers are yellow, sometimes tinged with red, and the spines are up to 2” long and grow thickly on the pads. The spines will grab passers-by and the pads break off easily, hitching a ride to a new location. The pads root easily; simply placing them on the soil surface can often produce a new plant. Columbia prickly pear grows in drier areas of Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas and Yakima counties.

Habitat:

Spotted near the Umtanum creek.

Notes:

While it is now grown throughout the dry regions of southern Europe, it is believed that all species of prickly pear cacti originated in North America where it became a valued source of food and medicine for centuries.