I've always been a fan of cactus. Most cacti are like irises, not much for looks for fifty weeks of the year and two weeks of blooms. That's why I really don't care much for irises. My big Nopalito cactus is an exception though. It's just starting to bloom and will have some blooms on it the rest of the summer. The first flush is the best. It will cover up in big, waxy, yellow blooms. Those blooms will draw many kinds of beetles and bees to them. The blooms have no odor that I can detect so I would suspect that they are drawn by color. The yellow of the blooms is a pale but pure yellow, much like Calylophus or Fluttermills. Here is a series of pictures showing how beautiful Nopalito blooms are start to finish.
Here is a bud just starting to grow. Click picture to view full size, it's just stunning.
This one is a little more developed.
This one is about to make the big show.
A bloom just opened up and a bee is in it immediately. The bugs really like these blooms.
It looks like I'm in for one heck of a show.
And of course I will be getting plenty of these.
Where it grows more pads instead of blooms, these little clusters come up. I can only imagine the picture that East Side Patch would have beside this.
It looks like there will be plenty of new pads this year as well.
5 comments:
It seems to be an excellent year for prickly pear blooms. I love that yellow too. I've never had a spineless prickly pear bloom for me before, only the very spiny and purple 'Santa Rita.'
I've been enjoying the show on my PPs as well, lots of blooms and tons of pup pads.
They look like little Fraggle Rock Fraggle-tops!
Hi Bob.
Great minds think alike - did a similar cactus story, and I am right there with you on the "Iris" front! I am seriously considering pressing the button and ejecting all Irises from the path...They really bore me to death, then just continue to expand!
Oh and I answered your question on my latest post:-) Well you did ask!
ESP.
I kind of have a love-hate relationship with PPs. They are quite lovely when in bloom, and the fruit is tasty, but they are sort of invasive in my area. I have several large patches on the bluff south of our house, and they keep expanding at a rather alarming rate. We hack them back every so often, but they are very resilient.
Nice photos!
Post a Comment