Did You Know Minnesota Has Native Cactus Species Growing Wild In The State?

One of the things I love about living in Minnesota is how diverse the landscape is and how distinct and varied the seasons are. From dense forests to prairies and tropical summer heat to frigid tundra-like temperatures, there's a lot of variety.

Despite that range of variety, I was still surprised to find out that the Land of 10,000 Lakes is also home to a few species of plants native to Minnesota that are usually associated with desert climates.

I got into a conversation with someone recently who said "Did you know Minnesota has some cactus varieties that grow here?" They weren't sure of which varieties, so I dug into it a little and found out that the Minnesota DNR does indeed say there are a few different varieties of cactus that can be found in Minnesota.

This isn't an example of a non-native plant that ended up here somehow, either. They specifically say there are three varieties of cactus that are native to Minnesota.

Here's what varieties of cactus are native to Minnesota and where they can be found:

Ball Cactus

The rarest of the three cactus species native to Minnesota, the ball cactus - also known as the pincushion cactus - is found in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain states. The Minnesota population of these plants is the furthest east they are found natively in the United States.

The Minnesota DNR's rare species guide says their range in Minnesota is limited to Big Stone County and nearby parts of Lac Qui Parle County in Western Minnesota. It likes to grow in areas where large amounts of bedrock are exposed at the surface.

The DNR says it likely had a larger range in Minnesota near prairie land before much of that land was converted for agricultural purposes.

Prickly Pear Cactus

While it's fairly common in the Great Plains, prickly pear isn't as common in Minnesota though it is native to the state. Generally found in most states south and west of Minnesota, it is found in a few places in the Land of 10,000 Lakes and also in Wisconsin.

The DNR says most of the occurrences of this pant are in southwestern Minnesota, though they do report one introduced plant in Washington County east of the Twin Cities area.

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This type of cactus likes to grow in areas of bedrock exposure and dry prairie spaces on shallow soil over bedrock. Populations of the species are reportedly not exceedingly common and are spread sparsely across the range noted in the map above.

Brittle Prickly Pear Cactus

The third variety of cactus the Minnesota DNR says is native to the state is the brittle prickly pear, which is similar to the prickly pear mentioned above. While the plant can be found in the state, the DNR's website doesn't have an entry on their rare species guide, like the other two varieties.

According to the website Minnesota Wildflowers, this plant has a slightly larger range than the other prickly pear plant. Observances in Southwestern Minnesota match up with the other cactus varieties, but they also have reports in places like Stearns, Sherburne, and Chisago counties through Central Minnesota and even in Koochiching County in Northern Minnesota.

Like other cacti, it grows in dry or rocky areas. What makes it different from a normal prickly pear is the smaller and breaks away more easily, hence the name "brittle".