Ocotillo and Prickly Pears

The Ocotillo is not a true cactus, and for much of the year appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks.  With rainfall the plant becomes lush with tiny oval shaped leaves that remain for months.  The plant can grow to 30 feet in height.  It branches from its base although occasionally divides further.  The flowers  are bright crimson, and are pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees.

Ocotillo are protected plants; regulations permits and penalties are enforced regarding moving them (and any cacti, agaves, yuccas, etc).  Interestingly the Ocotillo develops a south-side resistance to heat and sunlight, and their orientation to the predominant sunshine is critical to their survival if transplanted.  They are native to the Sonoran deserts of the Southwest, and are sometimes called Coachwhip or Jacob’s Staff.

This is a purple prickly pear, one of the many members of the “opunita” family. These are branched, densely spined cacti with flattened paddle shaped pads.  Most of the Prickly Pear we have here lie close to the ground, but some do grow tree-like.  These are very irritating to the skin if touched because they have little bristles around the sharp spines.  Prickly pear are really found round the world, and we have quite a number of them in our area.