Columbia prickly pear

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.