Written by Jeff

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Many of the cacti in the Sonoran Desert are finishing their spectacular bloom cycle. Lucky for those who live in this amazing area, cacti provide a show with many acts. From the time they set buds, through blooming and then with decorative seed pods, there is beauty to behold.

Above is a Prickly Pear cactus in our landscape with a good number of spade-shaped buds.

In these pictures, they serve as a crown for the pad of the host plant. Each bud seems to resemble a small artichoke.

When the time is right, those tightly packed buds explode into bloom.

Notice the cup-like structure on the left in the picture above which adds interest even after the bloom has fallen to the ground.

Cholla buds (pictured above) are a bit more complex. They crowd together at the ends of the branches bringing bits of color to the bundles of thorns. Keep your distance from these cacti because they are eager to grab on and hitch a ride.

When in bloom the Chollas offer even more color.

Cactus buds (below) can be quite bright in color even when smaller. This is a small unnamed cactus that was given to me and which the Javelinas enjoy munching on from time-to-time.

The red buds emerge for several days and explode into color, but last for only a day or two.

There are other stories about cactus and their blooms, but that is for a later post!

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post