I shot this infrared image of Prickly Pear Cactus yesterday afternoon. The nub at the top
of the mountain is Tom’s Thumb, one of my favorite destinations. The hike up is too hot
for me in the summer so I’m really looking forward to some cooler weather.
(JF: this was supposed to be a scheduled post but it didn’t work)
This morning’s MSC hike featured Alice Demetra giving expert insight into medicines the ancient peoples made from desert plants. A brave hiker volunteered to wear a Prickly Pear bandage to see how long it would stay in place. It worked really well. (Thanks, Christian!)
An HDR image from yesterday’s hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Shooting on a sunny day can reveal some fun shadows like these curvy shadows on a Prickly Pear Pad. The cactus was dehydrated which was causing the pads to buckle.
While looking for a photo this morning, I found what I knew to be a Cochineal infestation on a Prickly Pear cactus. The history of Cochineal bugs is very interesting if you’ve never heard it. They are a source of red dye considered so highly prized at one time that it was listed on the London and Amsterdam Commodities Exchanges. Click here to read all about it.
We rarely see Cochineal on native cactus. This Prickly Pear was purchased at a nursery.
