Below are some of the cactus and flowers out here. Most of these were taken by me with my digital camera right in my neighborhood. As this is a desert, not much use for grass, so most everyone has gravel or rocks for their "lawn". As it gets hot out here, the only plants that seem to do well are succulents like cactus as these plants do not require much water. Most people think of the cactus as just that, a cactus and nothing more. They do not know just how beautiful these plants can be when they are in full bloom.

Some Cactus Facts

Saguaro or Sahuaro
The northeastern portion of the Sonora desert, the Arizona upland desert, is home to the giant saguaro. This cactus has become the symbol of Arizona, and it is the most massive cactus in the United States, though it may be exceeded in size by some of the giant cacti of Baja California, southern Mexico and Brazil.

Creamy white flowers with golden pollen centers are carried at the ends of the branches. These blossoms are the state flower of Arizona.

Saguaros grow slowly and need the protection of a "nurse plant" such as a bush or small tree when they are young. It takes about fifteen years for a young saguaro to reach one foot in height, and forty years to reach ten feet in height. It is about then that they begin to bloom.

Cholla (Teddy Bear or Jumping Cactus)
The Cholla is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. While the name "jumping cholla" is applied especially to this species, it is also used as a general term for all chollas.

The jumping cholla is an arborescent (tree-like) plant with one low-branching trunk. It often grows to heights of 12 feet with drooping branches of chained fruit. The stems are light green and are strongly tuberculate, with tubercles measuring 6 to 9 mm. Together, the plants form fantastic looking forests.

Flowers are white and pink, streaked with lavender. They are about one inch wide, and are displayed at the joint tips (or old fruit tips), blooming in mid-summer.

Most of the fleshy, green fruits are sterile, pear-shaped to nearly round, wrinkled with a few spines. They are typically about 4 cm (1.5") long, often producing flowers the following year which add new fruits to those of previous seasons. It is these hanging chains of fruit which give it the name "hanging chain cholla", whereas the "jumping cholla" name comes from the ease with which the stems detach when brushed, giving the impression that the stem jumped onto you. Often the merest touch will leave a person with bits of cactus hanging on their clothes to be discovered later, when either sitting or leaning on them. The ground around a mature plant will often be covered with dead stems and young plants started from stems that have fallen from the adult. They attach themselves to desert animals and are dispersed for short distances.

Prickley Pear
The Prickly Pear cactus grows some wonderful red fruit that is used to make jams and jellies. You can buy it in the grocery store. I bet you could find it if you looked. The Native Americans around here go around and harvest the fruit. Practically the whole cactus is used. The cactus itself has many uses, from tea, medicines, cosmetics, shampoo. The Prickly Pear cactus is a staple in Native American diets.

The pads of the prickly pear are actually modified branches or stems. They store the waterand produce flowers. Distinctive of the brown-spined prickly pear, the pads are bluish-green in color and oblong in shape. They grow between 4 to 6 inches wide. Sometime in May or June the prickly pears bloom. The yellow flowers often have red streaks around the base and grow to about 3 to 4 inches wide. Each pad produces several flowers, and when the blooms fade they give way to red, fleshy fruit. The fruit will stay on the plant until it is picked by man, animal or bird.

Both the fruit and the pads of the prickly pear are edible and used in many ways. People enjoy the fruit raw or cooked, boiled into jelly, or even fermented to make alcohol. The fruits are called cactus pears, prickly pears or tunas. Full of tiny black seeds that are edible, many Native Americans would dry out the seeds and grind them into pastry flour. The pads, called nopales, are also eaten raw or cooked.

Named for its pear-like shape and size, Prickly pear fruit comes from any of several varieties of cacti. Its prickly skin can range in color from green to purplish-red; it's soft, porous flesh (scattered with black seeds) from light yellow-green to deep golden. Also called cactus pear, the prickly pear has a melon-like aroma and a sweet but rather bland flavor. It's extremely popular in Mexico, Central and South America, the Mediterranean countries and southern Africa, and is slowly gaining favor in the United States. Prickly pears are available in Mexican markets and some specialty produce markets from fall through spring. Choose fruit that gives slightly to palm pressure. It should have a deep, even color. Ripen firm prickly pears at room temperature until soft. Store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to a week. Prickly pears are usually served cold, peeled and sectioned with the seeds removed.

Native Americans also found other parts of the cactus useful. The strong skin fibers of the pads were dried and woven into baskets, mats and fans. The large spines made good toothpicks, needles and pins. Even the woody skeletons left after the flesh dried was used to make furniture and to construct houses.

Ocotillo
The Ocotillo is a native of the Sonoran Desert. Although it is dry most of the year and has spines up its branches, the Ocotillo is not a cactus since it grows true leaves. The plant is funnel shaped, with long, straight, mostly un-branched stems. It's habitat is dry, rocky slopes and grows as tall as 9 meters (30 feet). Leaves are bright green and appear after a rain storm. Bright red flowers grow in bunches up to 25 cm (10 inches) long at the end of the stems. The leaves and flowers die off as the soil dries. The bloom cycle may be repeated several times a year depending on the timing of rain storms.

Barrel Cactus
Barrel cactus are always cylindrical or barrel shaped and are usually among the largest cacti of the North American deserts. All members of this genus have prominent ribs and have heavy spines. In some species, one or more central spines are curved like a fishhook, accounting for the common name Fishhook Barrel Cactus. Barrel Cactus flowers always grow at the top of the plant. They bear no spines and only a few scales. Fruits become fleshy and often juicy when mature, but are not usually considered edible. Native Americans boiled young flowers in water to eat like cabbage and mashed older boiled flowers for a drink. They also used the cactus as a cooking pot by cutting off the top, scooping out the pulp and inserting hot stones together with food. The spines were used as needles, awls and in tattooing. The pulp of barrel cactus has been widely used for making cactus candy (thus one of its common names, Candy Barrel Cactus), but this has also accounted for its destruction and, therefore, protected status in many areas.