Prickly Pear Cactus Grows Wild in Minnesota I self-identify as a crazy cactus lady. I flippin' love cacti. When I go to Arizona you will catch me taking photos of cactus, looking at cactus, admiring them. And then I buy kits to bring home to grow my own. I love these things. So you can imagine my excitement when I found that one of my favorite cactus types is native to Minnesota. That would be a version of the prickly pear cactus (pictured above from my most recent trip to Phoenix) and you can find it mainly in southern Minnesota.