Cactuses don't have the kind of leaves like a maple or oak tree. But they might have had leaves that were at least a little more like that way way back in the past.
Over time, those leaves evolved into the spiky spines we see on cactuses today because they help the plants survive in hot, dry environments. But, also, spines create shade!
They're little shade umbrellas! All cactuses are native to desert environments, and some live in places where it never rains at all. So how do they get water to survive? Well, Kimberlie tells us that these plants grow not too far from the ocean. Those spines provide a place for the water to condense, form little droplets of water that run down the spine, to the body of the plant, down to the ground and to the roots.
Cactuses are also extremely important parts of their desert environments, as they hold soil in place and provide shelter for birds and other animals. Those insects and birds in turn help pollinate the cactus flowers. So all in all, spines are adaptations that protect and help cacti hide from animals that may want to eat them.
They also provide shade for the plant, which keeps them cooler and limits water loss. Ask a Scientist runs on Sundays. Questions are answered by science experts at Binghamton University. For more information, visit binghamton. News National Politics Schools. Facebook Twitter Email. But bless the thorns —they split up light, evenly distributing it around the whole plant.
In fog-prevalent deserts, thorns are quite instrumental in quenching the plant. They trap enough of this fog to turn it into water droplets that later find their way down around the base of the plant.
With the shallow root system common in cacti, the water is quickly absorbed by the plant. And the cacti live on. As mentioned above, thorns trap air around cacti that is pivotal in the survival of the plant two major ways. Insulation is one. The other is water preservation. The thin film of air reduces the rate of evaporation of water from the plant. As a result, very little of this water is lost to the atmosphere. In a desert setting , this is a huge deal.
Certainly not all. Especially not the large ones. A newer approach is to wax them like you would body hair. Place a bead of wax along the infected area, allow it to dry, and it is party time. This method will also be pretty painful, but much quicker and less effective. You could have to do it a few times to make sure that they are all removed. The cactus is an interesting plant that evolved to become a stem succulent. That means that they have developed what was once leaves to process water taken inside the trunk of the cactus.
Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to create food and oxygen. When the leaves of the cactus began to evolve out, the stem, or trunk, began to photosynthesize and store water. The root system also saves a decent amount of water, but most storage happens in the trunk. The leaves have gone away over time to become the beloved spines of recent discussion.
They are members of the family Cactaceae with almost subspecies of cactus. They come in a cast array of sizes and colors. A large portion of these types is found in the Americas from Patagonia to Northern Canada. The most common forms of cactus in North America are:.
This cactus is very prevalent in the Southwest, with about 70 species residing there. They are long cylinders that have some neat colored spines that can make some fantastic designs. A significant feature of the Echinocereus is its flowers.
It has a bright red flower that can be eaten if needed. The flowers are also in bloom for much longer than their cousins. People often choose this breed for its decorative feel. The skin color, combined with the spines coloration, will add much-needed variety to your garden.
It requires a rocky and sunny environment to survive and will have a hard time with wet, cold climates. A Ferocactus is a smaller barrel-shaped cactus that is low to the ground and usually forms in clusters. It starts like other cacti, as a long blade, but as they get older, they spread out by creating ribs.
Ferocactus is native to the Southwest and Western parts of Mexico. It is a drier climate cactus. It has to have an arid climate but can withstand some severe drop of temps as well. The incredible innovation of this type of plant is that it shifts to be closer to areas where water can pool or be stagnant.
The root system will extend itself towards a constant water source. Also, the plant itself moves by increasing several ribs in the direction of the root system. These ribs extend the barrel shape of the cactus. This plant is what most people call the pin-cushion cactus. It is the type of cactus that comes in tiny pots and is grown on your windowsill. Mammillaria is the most prevalent species of cactus with over species in this family alone. They grow mostly in Mexico but can be found all over the Caribbean and parts of northern South America.
The explosion of the popularity in this cactus has made locking down all the naming nomenclature an intensive pursuit. For decades, plant nurseries named every cactus Mammillaria. Thereby negating any scientific opinion on the subject. Be cautious when purchasing any cactus that is labeled Mammillaria. If you are going to add a Mammillaria to your garden, be sure that it is the correct species. Not all have flowers, and some never leave the tiny pot stage.
This cactus is better known by the name Texas Prickly-Pear. It is a long flat blade that has clusters of spines on its face. That also can bloom with beautiful yellow flowers, which make a nice contrast with their blue-green skin.
The blooms are fascinating in that they only live for one 8-hour period from April to May. Making them somewhat of an oddity to be watched as well as tended in the garden. They are best known for growing in large clusters, some as large as 11 feet high. For generations, the prickly-pear that is produced has been a food staple for many indigenous people in the Southwest. Saguaro is the type of cactus that is most often depicted in the media.
It is a tall trunk, usually with a couple of branches. A saguaro can grow to be 40 feet tall and weigh lbs. What makes this type of cactus grow so vast is the gigantic root system that it forms. A root system for a saguaro can grow up to feet in every direction from the cactus base.
But, it could take them as long as 75 years to gain any real size. They also need large amounts of water to reach this size. That is why the largest specimens are reported in Arizona, where they get more rain than their Mexican cousins.
The largest Saguaro ever found was 78 feet tall. As large as an average pine tree. One of the most exciting cacti in the Americas is coryphantha. This plant has a fantastic flower that can range from bright yellow to a deep purple.
It grows from the top of the cactus, which makes it more unique than others. This plant is also well known for having a spine grouping that fans out like a large umbrella.
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