A blooming Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail pricklypear, covered with gorgeous pink flowers near a boulder stacks at Joshua Tree National Park. Native to the deserts of northwest Mexico and southwestern regions of the United States, this species has a restricted range and grows in protected areas such as Joshua Tree, reaching only up to 16” inches in height. The vibrant flowers are pink, rose or magenta-purple in colors. Known as glochids, they have multiple tiny reddish-br

🌵Prickly pear cactus pads are the stems of the cactus. These vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins A, C and calcium. There are a variety of ways to prepare the pads: boiling, sautéing, pickling, grilled or chopped up and mixed raw in salads. I think they taste like a combination of okra and green pepper. ❤️🌵Cactus Smoothie (Makes about 1 1/2 cups) 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed 1/2 cup fresh nopal (cactus paddle), cubed 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or whole orange 1/4 cup water ‼️The g