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When to Plant Prickly Pear in California

California spans USDA hardiness 5b to 11a (zones 5b to 11a on this page). Plant prickly pear by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.

Jump to: Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a · Zone 7b · Zone 8a · Zone 8b · Zone 9a · Zone 9b · Zone 10a · Zone 10b · Zone 11a

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 5b

Average last spring frost

April 30

Average first fall frost

October 5

🌿

Direct sow

May 14

🌾

Projected first harvest

May 14

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 5b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 6a

Average last spring frost

April 25

Average first fall frost

October 10

🌿

Direct sow

May 9

🌾

Projected first harvest

May 9

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 6a (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 6b

Average last spring frost

April 20

Average first fall frost

October 15

🌿

Direct sow

May 4

🌾

Projected first harvest

May 4

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 6b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 7a

Average last spring frost

April 15

Average first fall frost

October 20

🌿

Direct sow

Apr 29

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 29

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 7a (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 7b

Average last spring frost

April 10

Average first fall frost

October 30

🌿

Direct sow

Apr 24

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 24

J
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M
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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 7b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 8a

Average last spring frost

April 1

Average first fall frost

November 10

🌿

Direct sow

Apr 15

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 15

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 8a (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 8b

Average last spring frost

March 20

Average first fall frost

November 20

🌿

Direct sow

Apr 3

🌾

Projected first harvest

Apr 3

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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 8b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 9a

Average last spring frost

March 1

Average first fall frost

December 1

🌿

Direct sow

Mar 15

🌾

Projected first harvest

Mar 15

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F
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A
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🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 9a (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 9b

Average last spring frost

February 15

Average first fall frost

December 15

🌿

Direct sow

Mar 1

🌾

Projected first harvest

Mar 1

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
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O
N
D
🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 9b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 10a

Average last spring frost

January 30

Average first fall frost

December 30

🌿

Direct sow

Feb 13

🌾

Projected first harvest

Feb 13

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 10a (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 10b

Average last spring frost

January 30

Average first fall frost

December 30

🌿

Direct sow

Feb 13

🌾

Projected first harvest

Feb 13

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
🌱 Start indoors🌿 Growing outside🌾 HarvestTodayZone 10b (approximate)

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →

Prickly Pear planting calendar for California, Zone 11a

Zone 11a doesn't get a seasonal frost — prickly pear plants on a warm/cool-season calendar instead of frost dates.

🗓️

Best planting window

Year-round

🌴 Your zone never frosts, so planting is timed to the cooler vs. warmer seasons rather than a frost date.

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🌿 Planting windowTodayZone 11a: frost-free; timed to seasons, not frost

Prickly Pear is ready to harvest in about 365 days.

Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.

Varieties to grow

1 variety of prickly pear in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.

Prickly Pear →

Common problems with prickly pear

What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each

Pear PsyllaCodling MothApple MaggotPlum CurculioSpongy MothTent CaterpillarsApple ScabEntomosporium Leaf SpotFire BlightBrown RotCedar-Apple RustFruit Cracking

🌱 Grow prickly pear with a calendar built for your exact yard

HomeSown turns your ZIP code into a personalized planting calendar, watering reminders, and pest help. Free to start.

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prickly pear — full zone guide

All zonesZone 5 →Zone 6 →Zone 7 →Zone 8 →Zone 9 →Zone 10 →