After missing out on cacti blooms the past couple years, I was determined to see them flower. They were in bud for an eternity:
June 3
There are two types of native cacti growing wild in WI sand prairies. We have Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrorhiza) cactus. They typically flower towards the end of June for an extended time, and can be found where sandy soil hasn't been disrupted.
My cacti watch payed off this year. June 24 is the first day I saw a blooming cactus. It was hiding on the edge of the tree line across from our house. We had just gotten a fresh drink of water overnight, and the blooms were kissed by water droplets:
The cacti blooms came out a few days later at the bottom of our property, in a small area I call Cactus Cove. They looked like yellow roses:
I kept checking on the Cactus Cove blooms, waiting for them to fully open. They had their struggles:
Japanese beetle infestation
We had a rainy stretch, and poof (!!) the cacti were done blooming in the Cactus Cove. There are a lot of cacti growing in our prairie area, it is pure sand. That area of our property has had the least amount of work done. This time of year it is a difficult area to enjoy. I look forward to future days with many more blooming discoveries!
Cactus Cove bloom
6 comments:
I am hunting those beetles with a bucket of soapy water. They are on my 4 o'clocks and I beat them into the water and the buggers drown.
Okay, that was gross.
HOWever, I love your cacti shots and the one with the droplets are so beautiful!
You are quite the naturalist!
Hopefully you are doing well in this heat.
Beautiful cacti blooms. They do look like roses, so pretty. Glad you got to see them and share them with us.
Beautiful little blooms!
Wow, what a rare beauty, and you were there to capture it. Very special. I didn’t know you had cacti back there!
Lovely blooms! You are now an official cactus stalker:0)
Hope you saved a photo for the next Sunday stills. I'm really looking forward to that one- flowers and florals.
Thanks all! I truly enjoy the cactus blooms, and am most definitely a bloomin' stalker! I think the bloom time was a little off this year (along with a lot of things) but I don't have much to go off.
Native cactus grow in many States, not sure about Canada.
The Japanese beetles aren't too bad around my garden beds or potted plants this year. I learned that deadheading really helps keep them at bay. Or at least I think it does. I am pretty sure (hope) the rain took care of the ones down by the cacti.
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