The Rose City Bluff has several thorny plants, both native and invasive: two species each of blackberry and hawthorn, as well as the occasional thistle. There are, however, no cacti. Having lived in the Southwest for years we kind of miss cactus. So, when we read that a native cactus grows within a hundred miles of here, we had to find it.
Opuntia columbiana (Columbia plateau prickly pear) is native to the Columbia River Gorge. It’s one of the few native cacti in Oregon and Washington. We found it growing in low, spreading mats east of The Dalles. The most conspicuous characteristic we saw was the crazy abundance of long thorns for such a small cactus. The pads were only about an inch long and the numerous spines were as long as the pads. We would need to return later in the year to observe its yellow flowers.
Rose City Bluff Restoration 