Opuntia azurea, the purple prickly pear or coyotillo, is a prickly pear that is native to Texas and Mexico.
Description The plant flowers from March to May, with bright yellow flowers bearing red centres which produce red/purple fruits. Opuntia azurea forms sprawling clusters, two to three feet high.The American South West
Variation Its subspecies may include:Texas Cacti: Purple Prickly Pear O. azurea aureispina O. azurea discolor O. azurea azurea O. azurea diplopurpurea O. azurea parva. O. azurea arueispina
However, instead of subspecies, five varieties have been described and ssp. "arueispina" is not recognized. O. aureispina O. azurea O. discolor O. diplopurpurea, and O. parva.
Distribution and habitat O. azurea lives in a variety of habitats, including desert, mountain grasslands, and slopes in the Big Bend region of Texas and in the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, and Zacatecas in Mexico.
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