Englemann's Prickly Pear is a large, shrubby plant with ascending, or sometimes sprawling, segmented branches that can grow to 6 feet tall. The plant is characterized by fleshy green pads, typically round to oval, often measuring up to 12 inches in diameter. Young pads are bright green and dotted with tiny bumps called areoles, producing small leaves that drop off as spines develop. At each areole, zero to eight flattened, yellow spines and numerous tiny, brownish glochids emerge. In the spring, plants produce showy yellow flowers, followed by reddish-purple fruits in summer.