26 July 2008

Cactus!

posted by Paul
Prickly Pear CactusI've been pricked by one too many cacti to be a fan. Of the strangest facts about this plant is that people actually turn it into jam, syrup and even an alcoholic spirit.

The Prickly Pear cactus was apparently introduced into South Africa about 300 years ago to act as a fence to protect farm animals from predators. This cactus was also used as a food source for people and animals and its shallow root system helped prevent soil erosion.

All of these facts aside, I just can't help thinking of John Wayne whenever I see this plant. Funny that.

1 Comments:

Blogger Sharon said...

I love this photo. It makes me want to go out and photograph one of the prickly pears around here. The light in your picture is just perfect.

29 July 2008 06:56  

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