Monday, July 20, 2009

Wisconsin Prickly Pear Cactus

I was weeding the garden and realized a couple of things about my Wisconsin prickly pear cactus:


1. They have not bloomed yet or I missed it
2. Their spines are very small at the top and non-existant on the rest of the pad
3. They cannot be weeded for obvious reasons
4. They have a symbiotic relationship with the pine needles that fall on and around them thus making weeding unnecessary
5. They thrive on neglect (and I do that best)
And they are definitely survivors!


I sketched the way some of the pads lay on the ground, get covered up with pine needles and still develop new pads. They are in a small garden near the front porch facing south where you can see the fencing in the background.

Prickly Pear Cactus grow in many non-desert parts of the country.

3 comments:

  1. Cool, Teri, thanks! Yes, we have prickly pears here in Missouri, too...usually but not always south of the Missouri River, odd, isn't it? They're really survivors, though!

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  2. Yes, we have prickly pear in Australia - It is one of the most invasive weeds ever imported into Australia and has legislation declaring it a noxious weed. It was bought out on the First Fleet 200 years ago. I think it is in scrubland. I remeber coming across it while hiking sometimes.

    However, your drawing is not like a pest at all - bright colours and I like the detail on the plant and the colour of the background.

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  3. I like your cactus, ours in AZ bloomed about a month or so ago, if they are the right kind you can also eat them , boil, or saute with scrambled eggs or on the grill like peppers, they are citrus tasting & resemble ochra.My stepson in Kansas has them in his back yard.neglect is the best method. keep sketching, your good!

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