Cacti are a fascinating family of plants with many unusual forms. Cacti are a common feature of desserts and are uniquely adapted to conditions of extreme heat and drought. Today cacti are grown as prized specimens in both private and public collections around the globe. Cacti are only one of several plant families that have the ability to store water in leaves, stems or roots. These water storing plants are called succulents because of their capacity for water storage.
Whe spending time in Arizona, we have enjoyed touring the Desert Museum inTucson where we were able to learn more about cacti and other desert plants from a well-trained guide. The guide noted that bees are the primary pollinators of most cacti although some types of cactus are pollinated by birds, bats, butterflies or moths.
A walking tour of Saguaro National Park provided close-up looks at the massive saguaro cactus, a symbol of the Sonoran Desert. Saguaros can grow to a height of fifty-two feet and some are estimated to be 250 years old! Some cacti produce flowers that bear a fruit. Historically, Native American women collected these fruits using long poles. They cooked the juice over a fire until it thickened and then strained out the pulp and seeds. A tasty syrup was the result from which a saguaro fruit wine was made for an important ceremony that was designed to bring summer rains.
People from the Midwest can easily recognize Prickly Pear and Barrel cactus, however few are aware of the many varieties. Both of these types of cacti produce flowers of varying colors...yellow, peach and red. In our experience, yellow flowers seem to be the most common. We were amazed to learn that some Prickly Pear can grow as tall as seven feet. Barrel cactus tend to form mounds or are tall with spines.
I had the misfortune to have a close encounter with a Teddy Bear Cholla cactus while golfing with friends in the Oro Valley. The encounter occurred in the "rough" as I was picking up my errant golf ball. Even though our friends had warned us about the strong barbed spines on this plant, my arm brushed against some of the spines. Painful moments followed while our friends removed the spines from my arm and applied the much needed medication. Teddy Bear Cholla can grow to six or seven feet in height with spines that are white and rather obscure. I can vouch for the obscureness of those spines!
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