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If a person visits a place called the Desert Botanical Garden, they expect to see a cactus or two. You'll definitely find more than two at the Desert Botanical Garden here in Phoenix, and it's always a treat when they're in bloom. Cacti have some of the most amazing, most brilliantly colored blooms I've ever seen.
The blooming cactus I'm going to share with you today is called a Red Torch cactus. It's not difficult to see why. What is rather strange and unusual is the visual image those blooms put in my mind. (Not that my imagination ever runs away with me!)
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| Red Torch cactus in bloom |
When I looked at the blooms on this cactus, they put me in mind of tiny hands reaching out of whirlpools... tiny hands reaching for help. Go ahead-- call me weird. I'm used to it!
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| Click either photo to view full size |
Beautiful flowers, and yes, that does look like a hand needing help!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm not as weird as I thought! Thanks, Bonnie!
DeleteGorgeous, I love the desert.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, Jackie, so do I.
DeleteBeautiful. I must get back to Phoenix some day...
ReplyDeleteEspecially when the cacti are in bloom at the Desert Botanical Garden!
DeleteFantastic! I know cacti grow in the desert, but it seems so strange to think you saw them in their natural habitat, rather than growing in pots like they do here in the UK - and they often look very sorry for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Christine. My grandmother grew them in pots back in the Midwest where I grew up. She had emerald green thumbs, but even then some of those potted cacti didn't look very happy.
DeleteMy husband and I like to go out on trails in the spring and see all the wildflowers and cacti in bloom. There can be fabulous shows of brilliant color that would amaze most people.
I didn't realize that cacti have such beautiful flowers.
ReplyDeleteYes, and in just about any color you can imagine!
DeleteIt's always astonishing how beautiful cactus flowers are. These are such a glorious red.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think something that elemental and unfriendly wouldn't bloom at all-- and even if it did, the flowers would be stunted and ugly.
DeleteCathy - How absolutely gorgeous!! Thanks for sharing :-). Wow! It is easy to forget just how lovely cacti really can be.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth!
DeleteGreat capture! There are cacti in the vacant lot next to us. Not sure what kind but the flowers are yellow.
ReplyDeleteSeveral different species have yellow blossoms-- and in all sorts of shades within that color.
DeleteI can see why they remind you a little hand needing help. Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy!
DeleteWOW --outstanding!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane!
DeleteThese are beautiful, I love seeing flowering cacti. And yes, it looks like a hand, I guess I'm weird too :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I have some company! :-)
DeleteI really must visit this botanical garden! I love the colors of the flowering cacti...and want to see them. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHere's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT
You're welcome!
DeleteOh, I love this...we don't have many cacti around here so I don't get to see them very often...and especially not the beautiful blooms :)
ReplyDeleteThey are such surprising plants, aren't they?
DeleteBeautiful and unusual. I've never seen one like that before.
ReplyDeleteI just hauled my cacti out onto the deck for the summer... hopefully a couple of them will bloom for me.
I hope they do, too. They should be happy about being outside now!
DeleteI started to appreciate the versality of the cacti plant. Not only they edible but also they have vivid colorful flowers.
ReplyDeleteI happen to like prickly pear jelly myself.... ;-)
DeleteThose are striking flowers -- love the vibrant red!
ReplyDeleteWith that color, they're impossible to ignore, aren't they?
DeleteVery, very pretty. Such a great color!
ReplyDeleteMy snapshot is here.
That color caught my eye from many many feet away. The blooms were just like magnets.
DeleteVery lovely. I have yet to visit Arizona, hope to one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can, too, Nisé.
DeleteI think they look like a hand reaching for help too, and the first thing that came to mind was the desert pit monster on Tatooine from Return of the Jedi. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Good one!
DeleteI can totally see the hand thing...wow, kinda creepy!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I'm not the only one seeing the creepy element in such lovely flowers!
DeleteThose flowers are really interesting...a flower (hand) within a flower! Very cool.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Snapshot
I have to admit that I stood there and looked at them for quite some time.
DeleteIt never seems to fit when a cactus has flowers, although I'm not sure why I think that since roses have thorns and they have beautiful flowers too. These are gorgeous. Here's Mine
ReplyDeleteBut cacti are much more prickly than roses, and even more inhospitable-looking, so that's probably why we feel that way. Thanks for stopping by, Paulita!
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