The Cactus Is Coming Back

[19&41]

It looks like the poor old cactus is really getting with it this spring.

[William]

Wow, that look good, Rex, and lots of new growth.

Bill

[electra225]

In a year you will not be able to tell anything happened to it. Looks good, Rex...

[MEZLAW]

Looking good!

[19&41]

Today it put out it's first flower of the year.In the first picture, the flower the second, 3 buds and in the third, a close up of the funny rubber points with the hypodermically sharp glasslike spines the cactus gets you with.

[electra225]

That is a beautiful cactus, Rex. There isn't anything more delicate and detailed than a cactus flower. Everything in the desert has "stickers" even the fine grass on the desert floor. If you ever come into serious contact with a cactus, you won't forget it. Nor will you want to do it again.....

[Conelrad]

Teddy-Bear Chollas are the worst.

Their golden spines look like harpoon barbs under magnification, and are coated with an oil that burns the flesh.

The spine-covered babies break off the mother plant with the lightest touch, and one is sure to get more of them embedded with the first thing any victim does...reaching for it.

[19&41]

If I get them on me and they break off at the surface, I get the stickiest duct tape I have and put it on the area and peel it off in different directions. most time it will get them out. It works on fiberglass too.

[William]

Beautiful, Rex. It's too bad each blossom only last for one day. Beauty like that should last a lot longer than one day.

Bill

[19&41]

It's good it is putting out so many. It's incongruous that a plant that can make such spines can also generate such beauty.

[electra225]

Nature uses the spines to PROTECT the beauty from desert critters that might eat the blooms in order to get the water out of the cactus. Did you ever see a cactus wren work in a big cactus?

[Conelrad]

Cactus usually have really beautiful blossoms. Some even smell good, too.

Your Prickly Pear is a handsome specimen BTW. Better yet, it lives in the Southeast!

[19&41]

Nature uses the spines to PROTECT the beauty from desert critters that might eat the blooms in order to get the water out of the cactus. Did you ever see a cactus wren work in a big cactus?

Only in nature films. They didn't have many big cactus in the area of Utah where I worked.

[19&41]

Cactus usually have really beautiful blossoms. Some even smell good, too.

Your Prickly Pear is a handsome specimen BTW. Better yet, it lives in the Southeast!

Thanks, It's one of two flowers that I can get to grow. the others are purple iris.

[Firedome]

Saw lots of cacti around Denver along the walking trails in Applewood while out there last week. None were blooming yet.
It was spitting wet snow the evening of April 25 when we landed, then 70s and almost 80 the remaining 2 weeks. Crazy.
On the way out we were diverted to Salt Lake City due to weather at DEN, the approach into SLC is quite beautiful.