What’s Blooming Now? April 2023

The Prickly Pear Cactus, also known as Cow Tongue Prickly Pear or Cactus Apple, has a short trunk, spreading, stem segments are yellow green to blue-green, flattened pads, and are glabrous, circular - obovate - rhombic in shape. The spines are evenly distributed on pad/leaf or they are absent, white to yellow, with age turning gray to blackish, spines are straight to curbed.

The fruit of the Prickly Pear Cactus are called tunas and are dark red/purple, ovate-elongate and kind of barrel-shaped, juicy, can bleed and stain, are edible, glabrous, spine-less, and the seeds are tan to grayish in color. It usually flowers in spring – early summer.

The Mammalaria Cactus, also known as the Pincushion Cactus, has over 200 known species and varieties, native to regions of Central America, particularly Mexico. Mammillaria spinosissima bears bright pink flowers and spines. The bloom time for Mammillaria plants is relatively short. In most instances, these cacti will hold their flowers for about one week.

Earth Day is coming up and we are very excited here at the Gardens! If you happen to stroll through the Gardens to celebrate, be sure to tag us in your photos, we would love to see them! #pslbotanicalgardens