Early Blooming of the Pincushion Cactus!

Everyone is familiar with the Saguaro Cactus, if not by name then at least by it’s tall profile, holding its arms up to the sun. It is the stereotypical plant of the desert southwest. When you hike or ride about Tanque Verde Ranch, it is all about you, telling you by its presence that you are in the Sonoran Desert. Enjoy the sight, but don’t forget to look down. Cactus come in all sizes. The diminutive pincushion cactus, the Arizona Fishhook, is here to be admired as well. Usually the last of the cactus to bloom, it has already begun to display its beautiful pink flowers, the first of the cactus display this year.  You must look closely about you to find it. It is hiding among the rocks and other cactus, but it is there for those with the eyes to see it. By Rick Hartigan Photo by Roni Ziemba