Most of us think of pointy things as hurtful if not downright dangerous. In the desert, however, with its lack of precipitation, pointy things like thorns means protection and survival.
Before I fell in the love with the desert and its inhabitants, I thought of cacti as prickly, inhospitable and downright unattractive. I mean of what use were they in my narrow-focused world? And besides, their thorns aren't easy to get out once embedded (painfully, I might add) into the skin.
When I lived on the East Coast, I always found it amusing when my friends would buy a tiny cactus specimen from the local garden shop. When I moved out West and began my ever increasing trips to the desert, I came to appreciate what my friends saw in these prickly plants. I discovered that cacti thorns (or spines) serve a noble purpose. They shade the plant, thus allowing less water to evaporate through transpiration. And they defend the cactus against water-seeking animals and inconsiderate humans.
I came to admire cacti's tenacity and ability to live in what would appear to be an unwelcoming environment. And what I love about cacti is being tough isn't enough. They are also beautiful ~ beautiful architecturally. Cacti come in a plethora of interesting shapes and sizes which are not obscured by leaves or other plant material.
And one magical time each year, if the conditions are right, cacti release exquisite floral gems that have been hiding, dormant, waiting patiently in their folds. Some flowers last for only a few hours at night, others for a week. However long they last, they are magnificent! They are bright and showy in order to attract pollinators, but I prefer they are thus to attract my eye. They are saying to me, "Hey, look past my thorns to the treasure that lies beneath!" And I gladly, willingly, hungrily do with gratitude, appreciation and joy.
And so I share a few of my recent cacti photos with you. Gaze first at the thorns and then marvel at the flowers they protect. Enjoy!
(Obscure note from blogmeister: Cactus Thorns is the "alternative newspaper for the Mojave Desert and beyond." Sounds about right!)
1 comment:
great photos - love them, especially those orange flowers - so Terrible and Beautiful!
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