Orange Surprise

Prickly pear á l'orange

June gloom’s extended stop-over ended today — it was HOT out. Running around doing errands this morning, I couldn’t wait to get home to hide out until the sun slipped behind Mt. Rubidoux. Once that happened, I took a quick turn around the property and was surprised to come across these gorgeous orange blossoms punctuating a low-growing prickly pear cactus on the side slope. A neighbor gave me a small portion of this specimen about a year ago and it’s been growing — and changing — ever since…

When it first came to us, the cactus had round green pads … but soon they began to elongate … and they didn’t stop, changing into long, narrow pads with purple areas around the spines. Also, it began to trail downward, snaking along the ground, rather than standing tall. At some point tiny red prickly pears appeared but they didn’t hang around long and fell quickly. Now this: vivid orange cups with sunny yellow centers glowing in the late afternoon. I’d like to think I’ve seen this shape-shifting cactus’ entire repertoire, but who knows?