Tuesday, January 29, 2008
I've read that they're supposed to shrivel in winter, to prevent damage when it freezes. But this seems a little extreme.
Opuntia humifusa, Eastern prickly pear cactus.
It's the only cactus that's native here. I remember being really surprised the first time I ever saw one growing out in a field.
It likes poor soil - dry and rocky suits it just fine. So where it grows in our backyard is probably not a good place for flowerbeds.
When the previous owner scraped out a road and put down chert on part of the property, this cactus sprang up in sunny areas along the edges. The healthiest plants are growing in a small area that was apparently cut over as a turn-around for the trucks. Wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) flourishes there in the spring.