Species · genus Opuntia · Cactaceae

Wheel Cactus

Opuntia robusta H.L.Wendl.

Also known as: Silver Dollar Cactus · Dinner Plate Prickly Pear · Camuesa · Nopal Tapón

Growth habit

succulent shrub or tree

Native range

Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest

Reference · O. robusta

Cultivars of O. robusta

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under O. robusta yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Opuntia robusta is a robust succulent shrub from arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico, storing water in its thick, paddle-like pads. It wants gritty, fast-draining mineral soil and the brightest direct sun you can offer. Water deeply but infrequently, only once the mix has dried out completely; in winter or low light, extend the interval well past 30 days and err toward keeping it dry.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-30d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 30 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

7–35 °C

Soil mix

Very gritty cactus mix with generous pumice and sand

Propagation

Callus a cut pad, then root in dry, well-draining mix

Fertilizing

Light cactus feed once or twice during active growth

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Large yellow flowers outdoors; rare on indoor plants

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-30d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Wheel Cactus yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.