Safety note: Has no large spines but is densely covered with glochids — hair-like barbed bristles that cause severe skin irritation and are extremely difficult to remove.
Beavertail Cactus is one of the most beautiful and recognizable cacti of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, its flattened, beaver-tail-shaped pads producing spectacular magenta-pink flowers in spring that attract large numbers of bees and hummingbirds. Despite lacking the large spines of most prickly pears, the pads are densely covered with glochids — tiny barbed bristles — that cause severe irritation. It typically grows in shallow, rocky desert soils and is a common sight in Joshua Tree National Park.
Habitat
Rocky desert flats, sandy washes, and bajadas of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California and Arizona.
Diet
Brilliant flowers attract specialist bees, bumblebees, and Costa's hummingbirds; fruits consumed by tortoises and other desert animals.
How common
Uncommon
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