Monday, August 17, 2009

Cactus Monday - Barrels

Fishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizenii) can live to be 50 to 100 years old.
Blooming in August, flower colors range from yellow
to reddish orange.
Flowers are followed by yellow fruit that resemble little pineapples.
Barrel cacti are usually single, but sometimes when damaged,
they can grow multi-headed.
As barrel cacti grow taller they often lean towards the south.
This is why they are sometimes called "Compass Cactus."
They lean south due to faster growth on the shady side.
Some lean so far that they eventually uproot themselves,
while others stand their ground.

Happy Cactus Monday!

More Cactus Monday posts at Teri's Painted Daisies.
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26 comments:

  1. TeriAugust 17, 2009 at 8:17 AM

    Wow, those barrel blooms are beautiful! Mine always bloom when we are gone and all I get to see are the yellow fruit. That orange color is beautiful!!

    HCM!!

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  2. Lynn CohenAugust 17, 2009 at 10:39 AM

    an amazing collection of beauty here. Wow, thanks for sharing. HCM

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  3. Angelika August 17, 2009 at 10:44 AM

    I've never seen cacti like these before.
    Wonderful colors.

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  4. LindyAugust 17, 2009 at 1:35 PM

    Those are great shots. Really like the multi-headed one - never saw one do that before.

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  5. SunnyAugust 17, 2009 at 1:36 PM

    Those are truly amazing cacti.
    Sunny :)

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  6. AshleyAugust 17, 2009 at 1:37 PM

    Beautiful cactus blooms! I had no idea they could live to be so old. Thats amazing!

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  7. •°°• IcyBC •°°•August 17, 2009 at 1:42 PM

    Amazing cactus blooms! I grow to like cactus through all your beautiful pictures of them! The flowers are so stunning to see..

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  8. JenAugust 17, 2009 at 4:10 PM

    Beautiful Diane! Thanks for the catcus lessons.
    One day I will go see more in real life. I just got back home from another week of work in Tucson on our house--I'll be back in October; maybe you can take me on a tour. ;)

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  9. pennyAugust 17, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    Nature sure is amazing the way it paints the desert with a beautiful pallet of colors...
    Diane, your photos are breathtaking, thanks for the wonderful journey :D

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  10. LindyAugust 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM

    Back again - just wanted to thank you for identifying the bird in my post. I appreciate it! I have added an update.
    :-)

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  11. GaelynAugust 17, 2009 at 7:36 PM

    Such a spectacular crown of flowers and fruit. Always liked the fishook cactus yet never saw it bloom. That's amazing. Excellent captures Diane.

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  12. betchaiAugust 17, 2009 at 9:29 PM

    wow, such wonderful treat for us Diane, you always don't fail us to give a visual treat! Love all your pictures.

    Did not make it to Cactus Monday today, had been too occupied with school.

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  13. SAPhotographs (Joan)August 18, 2009 at 2:35 AM

    What wonderful, beautiful and fascinating cacti Diane!! WOW!! I do love these and they have such colorful flowers. The one with the small pineapple-looking fruit - are they edible?

    They do get to be a wonderful age. Can they be propagated buy shoots coming out of the sides or by planting one of the smaller leaves?

    LOL!! Sorry, I always have questions. :)

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  14. CherryAugust 18, 2009 at 4:42 AM

    i've never seen such beautiful cacti! simply wow!

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  15. ProsperoAugust 18, 2009 at 6:54 AM

    Amazing, Diane. I actually have a Ferocactus wislizenii! You'd laugh. It's about 4 inches tall. It's quite a revelation to see it in its natural environment.

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  16. yoon seeAugust 18, 2009 at 8:33 AM

    Wow! I really can't miss your cactus monday post.
    The unique cactus shots are too beautiful1
    Love their colours and textures!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  17. jooAugust 18, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    Diane, they are amazing cactus!

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  18. Betsy Banks AdamsAugust 18, 2009 at 7:50 PM

    Hi there, We're home from our 2-day Hendersonville adventure. The plumbing is fixed and the folks are happy (I hope).

    As much as I love our Semps, I also LOVE your cactus blooms. WOW!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  19. AiyanaAugust 18, 2009 at 8:59 PM

    I wish my barrels had such vibrant colored flowers. All mine tend to be yellow or pale orange. Must be the soil difference between southern AZ and the Phoenix area.
    Aiyana

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  20. Robin EastonAugust 19, 2009 at 8:36 AM

    These are THE BEST cactus photos of ANY kind that I've ever seen. It is so beautiful where you are. It's interesting as I'm in NM and even though the two areas are somewhat close they look very different. Your photography is pure magic. :)) Hugs, Robin

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  21. KevinAugust 20, 2009 at 12:11 PM

    Beautiful photos as usual. There really isn't a prettier bloom than what cactus can produce, something I always look forward to when I'm in the desert.

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  22. CindyAugust 21, 2009 at 8:24 PM

    Wow! What a collection of cacti. Amazing. How big do they get?

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  23. EzhilanAugust 21, 2009 at 11:48 PM

    These bulky cactus looks interesting.The top photo (cactus flowers) looks like a birds nest with eggs.it's interesting to see many desert plants.

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  24. kesslerdeeAugust 23, 2009 at 6:52 AM

    A wonderful post! You include such great tidbits about the cactus. I'd love to see that multi-headed one!

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  25. deedeeAugust 23, 2009 at 5:37 PM

    I didn't know that. I'm going to look at mine and see if all mine know which way is South. Cool pictures and post.

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  26. JulieAugust 25, 2009 at 7:49 PM

    All I can say is "WOWZERS"!!!!! Unreal blooms!

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