Opuntia cespitosa (Cactaceae, previously known under the synonym O. humifusa) is found over eastern North America, yet its populations are very sparse and small despite effective vegetative reproduction. Their edaphic preferences are poorly known, and may limit the distribution and success of the species. Soils were sampled for %O.M. (organic matter), %sand, %silt, %clay, pH, and kg/ha of P, K, Ca, Mg, and Zn in 33 populations over a wide area of eastern North America. Tissue testing was carried out in three populations. Opuntia cespitosa occurs over a wide variety of nutrient conditions and soil textures, including both acidic and alkaline soils, though soil nutrients were generally poor and thin. Populations of the species occurred on soils with very high levels of calcium that could be toxic for other plants, exceeding 20,000 kg/ha in some areas. Plants in these areas also had high Ca tissue levels, also common in desert cacti. Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman′s correlation results suggest that population size was not related to the soil attributes tested, but does indicate that areas mowed by large mowers have larger populations. This may be the result of local vegetative spread of fragments by mowers.