Below is a list of all cacti found in Texas; the main species first, those with a photograph and full description page, followed by all other species, generally less common.

More species of cacti are found in Texas than any other state; counties with the most variety (around 100 species) are Presidio and Brewster, in the Big Bend area. Some counties have no cacti, however, including most of those in the far east.

The most widespread species, not necessarily always common, are cylindropuntia leptocaulis, echinocactus texensis, echinocereus reichenbachii, escobaria missouriensis, escobaria vivipara, mammillaria heyderi, opuntia macrorhiza, opuntia phaeacantha and opuntia engelmannii.


Acanthocereus tetragonus, barbed-wire cactus (TX)
Ancistrocactus brevihamatus, Short-spined fishhook cactus (TX)
Ancistrocactus scheeri, Root cactus (TX)
Astrophytum asterias, Star cactus (TX)
Coryphantha chaffeyi, Chaffey beehive cactus (TX)
Coryphantha duncanii, Duncan beehive cactus (TX)
Coryphantha ramillosa, Big Bend cory cactus (TX)
Coryphantha scheeri, giant pincushion cactus (AZ,NM,TX)
Coryphantha sulcata, grooved beehive cactus (TX)
Cylindropuntia davisii, Thistle cholla (NM,OK,TX)
Echinocereus berlandieri, Berlandier's hedgehog cactus (TX)
Echinocereus papillosus, Allicoche hedgehog cactus (TX)
Echinocereus pectinatus, Mexican rainbow cactus (AZ,NM,TX)
Echinocereus poselgeri, dahlia hedgehog cactus (TX)
Echinocereus pseudopectinatus, devil thorn (TX)
Echinomastus gautii, top cactus (TX)
Epithelantha bokei, ping pong ball cactus (TX)
Escobaria albicolumnaria, column foxtail cactus (TX)
Escobaria dasyacantha, Big Bend foxtail cactus (TX)
Escobaria duncanii, Duncan's foxtail cactus (TX)
Escobaria emskoetteriana, junior tom thumb cactus (TX)
Escobaria guadalupensis, Guadalupe Mountain foxtail cactus (TX)
Escobaria minima, Nellie beehive cactus (TX)
Escobaria missouriensis, Missouri foxtail cactus (AZ,CO,ID,KS,MT,ND,NE,NM,OK,SD,TX,WY)
Grusonia schottii, common dog cholla (TX)
Hamatocactus bicolor, twisted-rib cactus (TX)
Lophophora williamsi, peyote (TX)
Mammillaria prolifera, Texas pincushion cactus (TX)
Mammillaria sphaerica, longmamma pincushion cactus (TX)
Mammillaria wrightii, Wright's nipple cactus (AZ,NM,TX)
Neolloydia conoidea, Texas cone cactus (TX)
Opuntia atrispina, border prickly pear (TX)
Opuntia chisosensis, Chisos Mountain prickly pear (TX)
Opuntia cymochila, grassland prickly pear (CO,KS,NE,NM,OK,TX)
Opuntia humifusa, eastern prickly pear (OK,TX,KS,NE,SD)
Opuntia macrorhiza, Twist spine prickly pear (AZ, CO, ID, KS, MT, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, UT, WY)
Opuntia pusilla, cockspur prickly pear (TX)