Cacti / Desert Succulents

A yucca at Abo

Alex Arnold, Park Staff

Cacti are the most common plants in the Southwest United States, found mainly in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, particularly in the Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts. The six most frequent cactus genera are Cereus, Cylindropuntia, Echinocereus, Ferocactus, Mammillaria, and Opuntia, while less frequent genera include Ariocarpus, coryphantha, echinocactus, echinomastus, epithelantha, escobaria, glandulicactus, grusonia, pediocactus, sclerocactus, and locactus.

Desert cacti are the most recognizable features of arid desert landscapes. They typically have a tall, green appearance and can have either sharp or soft spines. Many cacti showcase barrel-shaped or flat, plate-like pads, along with prickly pear fruits and stunning flowers that bloom throughout the year. You can find cacti in nearly every state in the U.S. and in some southern Canadian provinces, except for a few tough species like opuntia and escobaria. Their stems, pads, or branches are modified and covered with scales and spines, and they have wide, shallow root systems that help them quickly soak up water and carry out photosynthesis by taking in CO2 through their leaf stomata.

 

Common Cacti & Succulents of New Mexico:

• Chihuahuan Pineapple Cactus: This hardy cactus blooms in early spring with delicate white flowers tinged with pink.
• Horse Crippler Cactus: Known for its low profile and thick, durable thorns, this cactus produces sweet fruit similar to prickly pears.
• Night-blooming Cereus: This cactus blooms after sunset with flowers that have a lovely vanilla scent. It usually only blooms for a single night.
• Cane Cholla: Often called tree cholla, this cactus grows up to 8 feet tall and has spiny, cylindrical stems. It blooms in late spring or early summer with purple or magenta flowers.
• Claret Cup Cactus: Also known as strawberry hedgehog, this cactus blooms in late spring with bright crimson flowers. It can grow up to five feet in diameter.