My least favorite cactus.

[martenfisher]

http://www.amwua.org/resource_documents ... atured.pdf should help. I realy like Acacia and coral bean myself and are great for stabalizing soils. Also the tree yuccas and Joshual tree. Opuntia as a landscaper I don't think I would recommend. Include them in an erosion control but not for erosion control.

[Peterthecactusguy]

lol
I am going to plant them because they won't take much water and they will help fill in.. I have two Ice plants already. I know they aren't native but my hillside is eroding.

[martenfisher]

Acacia dominates without water. I grow it in dry dusty sand and it seems to love it. I got the plant out of a swamp and they don't do well out there so i am surprised it was there. Since I put it in dry sand it took off like crazy. Coral bean makes a giant swell underground that makes it so it does not need to be watered. Most of the good desert plants once established will do fine not being watered. Acacia would make runners and a massive root system that would reatain soil very well and not create enough shade that cactus plants can't grow under them.

[Peterthecactusguy]

hmm I might have to see if I can find an Acacia tree. I have an Acacia greggii (whatever it was changed to I don't remember) growing in my yard already.
A. smallii is nice too. (edit) this is it..
Vachellia farnesiana
(also Acacia) but it has neat yellow flowers AND nice long 1 inch or bigger spines.
problem is the water line running under the hillside.
need to think about it.