Prickly pear cactus can be found throughout the world
This photo was taken as the sun was setting over the mountains at Big Bend National Park in Texas. It was within an hour of sunset which is commonly referred to as the golden hour. I love taking photos of close up subjects with a sweeping landscape. This particularly tall portion of the cactus allowed me to do just that.
About Prickly Pear
Prickly pear is also known as the pear cactus. It belongs to the Cactaceae family of cactus. It is a flowering plant that bears flowers of all different colors, but are commonly yellow. The flowers will turn into a fruit that is sometimes referred to as tuna. The color of this fruit can be red, green, or yellow orange. Different species of the prickly pear genus can be found throughout the world, from the Mediterranean to the United States and from Mexico to the Galapagos. In the Galapagos, the famed tortoises that live there eat the fruit as a primary source of food.
Prickly pear cactus can be found in areas that have mild winters and only receive a foot to two feet of rain per year. These cactus are trunk forming, segmented cactus, and they can grow to be 23 feet tall with a 10 foot diameter. The pads that make up the shape of the cactus are called cladodes. These grow from buds that transform into pads.
Many animals will eat this cactus. The prickly pear island snail and rock iguanas are just two examples of the arid-land animals that rely on this plant. Many birds also enjoy eating their fruit.
They can grow to be 23 feet tall
Did you know?
- Many people eat the fruit of this cactus. You must be careful though and first remove the skin so as to take out the small spines.
- In North Africa and the Middle East, the fruit of the prickly pears are orange and yellow.
- In Mexican folk medicine, the pulp and juice are used to treat wounds.
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