We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Ever walked past a cactus with broad, flat, ovoid pads with colorful spiky balls growing from them? You just walked past a source of food.

I didn't want to be a plant snob. So I told myself I at least appreciated some merits of the homely cactus. The prickly pear, after all, is a role model for water conservation. The flowers are pretty ...

It is harvest time for cactus pears and that is one thorny opportunity. It is possible, however, to be a novice picker of that bulbous fruit that crowns the prickly pear cactus paddles this time of ...

More than a listing of plant types and general facts, Guild to Wild Foods and Useful Plants, Second Edition (Chicago Review Press, 2014) is full of fascinating folklore, personal anecdotes, and tasty ...

Use one of the services below to sign in to PBS: You've just tried to add this video to My List. But first, we need you to sign in to PBS using one of the services below. You've just tried to add this ...

“Yum” doesn’t come to mind when most people see a spiny prickly pear cactus. But visitors to the second annual Superior Prickly Pear Festival on Aug. 24 will learn to peel and eat the plant’s ...

Here’s a plant – yes, a cactus — that doesn’t seem to have many secrets. It is stark and obvious, all year long: massive, succulent pads foreboding plenty of spiny torment, with marvelous summer ...

Question: I see menu items at Arizona restaurants toting "prickly pear" in some items such as jelly, margaritas and other drinks. Is this just a flavor that they are adding, or is it from the actual ...

I've recently discovered that cacti bloom in sunset colors, and now I am obsessed. The prickly pears are no exception. You've probably noticed bursts of yellow, coral and maybe even red peeping out ...

Fairyslipper and coral root orchids bloom on moist, north-facing slopes in the foothills. In March, we mistakenly wrote that yellow lady’s-slipper orchids occur in Boulder County. If anyone does know ...

Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) is native to the Eastern United States in prairies, pine flatwoods and scrub habitats. Someone examining prickly pear may not recognize any leaves, but the ...

Summer is a good time to reflect on one of our common West Texas native plants, the prickly pear cactus. The name cactus is derived from the Greek word kaktos, which means “prickly plant.” Like all ...