Ten inches of precipitation or less) have allowed plants to evolve structures that reduce water loss and retain moisture. To reduce surface areas that would lose hard-earned moisture in the scorching sun of the desert, cacti have switched from leaves to spines. Cacti use their green stems to carry out photosynthesis while storing water in their fleshy pads and stems. Another characteristic of cacti is their vividly colorful blossoms.
Cacti are not seen in White Sands National Park’s shifting dunes, but they are common in the brushy areas as you approach the monument. Other resilient desert plants, such as the New Mexico agave and the succulent lechuguilla, can be found in this typical Chihuahuan Desert setting. These plants have large, thick, green leaves that resemble short, thick spears with sharp barbs. Additionally, the thick, leathery leaves prevent water from evaporating.
The most prevalent species of cholla in New Mexico is the cane cholla, sometimes known as tree cholla. It is an eight-foot-tall tree-like cactus with prickly, cylindrical, fleshy stems that, when dead, reveal a latticed wooden skeleton. The spines are intricately barbed and challenging to pull from flesh. It stands out due to its size, which might resemble a shrub or even a tree, its silhouette, and its persistent yellowish fruits. In the late spring or early summer, this species blooms. The blossoms are magenta or purple. The fruits, which resemble cones and are golden in color with a depression at the wide end where the flower once existed, are frequently mistaken for flowers. All winter long, the plant keeps them.
The term “cane cholla” refers to a species of dead plant whose lovely woody skeleton is frequently used to make canes, furniture, and other keepsakes. The thorns can be fashioned as fishing hooks or sewing needles. Calcium levels in cholla buds are high. Native inhabitants of the area consumed the fruit raw, stewed, dried, and ground into flour.
The strawberry hedgehog, also known as the claret cup cactus, is mostly found in the Tularosa Basin to the north of the dunes. Late April brings out the stunning crimson chalice-shaped flowers that give the claret cup cactus its name. Large clusters of the cactus are covered in these vivid flowers, making it simple to identify. With older individual plants growing up to five feet in diameter and more than 75 stalks, the cactus can grow to enormous sizes. Some of the tastiest fruits produced by any desert plant are those of the claret cup cactus. As the fruits grow, they are covered with spines, but as the fruit ripens, the spines fall off.
The desert spoon, often referred to as sotol or the desert candle, takes its name from the spoon-shaped depression at the base of each leaf. The tall, narrow cluster of thousands of tiny greenish-white blooms on this perennial evergreen shrub emerges from a thick cluster of numerous short, spiny leaves. It flowers from May through July. Although the plant looks like an agave, it does not perish after flowering.
American Indians and Mexicans roasted the flower head in a pit for 24 hours before distilling the liquid to create the alcoholic beverage known as stool, which has a colorless penetrating stench and an odd flavor. The stiff leaves are used to create paper, thatch, matting, baskets, ropes, and mats. In dried flower arrangements, the wide, spoon-like base is frequently employed.
One of the most common agaves, lechuguilla, is the emblematic plant of the Chihuahuan Desert. Its 1-2 foot tall, succulent, yellow-green rosettes have numerous suckers. It flowers from May through July. Thick, leathery leaves feature hooked teeth along the borders and a stiff spine at the apex. Similar to its sibling, the century plant, the lechuguilla needs 1215 years to accumulate enough food to produce the enormous flower stalk, which develops incredibly quickly to reach a height of 15 feet. The stalk is flexible and unbranched, so it frequently bends when it is laden with buds or blooms while maintaining a steady, beautiful arc. A dense mass of yellowish or purplish blossoms covers the upper portion of the stalk. The stem eventually dies after generating blooms and seeds.
The leaves’ toxic liquid has been employed as arrow poison, a fish tranquilizer, medicine, and soap. The cordage for bow strings, nets, baskets, mats, sandals, blankets, and clothing was made from leaf fibers. Shampoo and soap were made from roots that had been pounded and soaked in water. Lechuguilla leaves are so pointy that they can pierce the tires of off-road vehicles and harm both people and animals. In Mexico, the plant is still picked for its fiber, which is used to make rope.
A basal rosette that is 6–18 inches high is made up of the stiff, succulent, sword-like leaves with spined points of the New Mexico agave. The leaves are a pale green. After 8–20 years, a 7–10 foot blooming stalk with clusters of yellowish, tubular blooms on numerous lateral branches emerges. The Other Mexico agave only produces flowers once throughout its lifetime (thus the term century plant), after which the original plant dies but is easily replaced by new plants. A typical misunderstanding is that agaves are cactus. They are neither closely linked to aloe, whose leaves resemble those of cacti, nor are they related to cacti.
The flowers, leaves, stalks or basal rosettes, and sap of the agave plant are all edible. Its damaged leaves provided a paste from which paper might be made. Its juice was either drunk straight up or fermented into the powerful drink pulque. Its leaves provided homes with an impenetrable thatch. The thorns on the end of its leaves were used as pins and needles. Bowstrings, brushes, cradles, nets, slings, shoes, skirts, mats, rope, thread, baskets, and snares were all made from the fibers. Shampoo and soap were both made from the fresh root. To create mescal or tequila, early Europeans distilled the juice.
All of the Southwest’s deserts contain ocotillo. This plant is not a member of the cactus family, despite having sharp spines and living in a desert, which give it a cactus-like appearance. Hummingbirds rely on this plant as a major source of food in the spring (April/May), when hundreds of vivid red tubular flowers swarm the terminals of the branches. The branches explode with leaves after spring or summer rains; throughout the rest of the year, photosynthesis takes place under the stems’ gray bark. It is a plant with a very long lifespan that can reach 200 years.
The only practical way to prepare ocotillo is as a fresh bark tincture. The tincture proved effective for treating symptoms brought on by fluid congestion. Other use include reducing fatigue by taking a bath in water that has roots or blossoms that have been crushed. The roots and blossoms of the ocotillo were utilized by several Indian tribes to stop the bleeding from fresh wounds. Ocotillo is also used to treat urinary tract infections, varicose veins, sore muscles, and coughing. For waxing leather and as an adhesive/waterproofing agent or varnish, gum resin from the bark was utilized. Sometimes sharp stems are planted in the ground to create living barriers.
The purple prickly pear typically grows in bunches that are 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. This cactus resembles a shrub in many ways. In the chilly, dry winter months, the huge leaf pads take on a purple tint. The pads have broad, brown spines all over them. Late spring brings out yellow flowers with red centers and oval fruit that can grow to be 1.5 inches long. The deep purple pads are quite interesting. The pads have a lighter blue-grey hue in the summer. Bright yellow fruit is produced by blossoms that are up to 3 inches in diameter. The purple variety of prickly pears contains fewer, if any, spines than many other varieties. Its subtle jasmine aroma is utilized to draw nocturnal insects to it.
Mexican and Mexican-American cuisine includes prickly pear cactus. Older plants are too hardy; only the young plant is consumed. Additionally, prickly pear cactus is employed in medicine. Prickly pear juice is a component of jellies and candies. Additionally, adobe mortar has been strengthened using its juice.
Stem elongation is a strategy used by soaptree yucca to stay above the moving dunes. Late April brings forth the big, cream-colored blooms on stalks of this yucca. Since American Indians used the majority of the plant’s parts, the yucca serves as a sort of “store in the desert. The tender flower stems are a good source of vitamin C. Like a potato, the flower pods can be roasted or boiled. The leaf fibers were used to create coarse textile, sandals, baskets, matting, rope, and other items. For the purpose of making soap to wash hair, blankets, and carpets, the roots were cut and cooked.
The Torrey yucca is a perennial evergreen that can grow up to 310 feet tall, while it typically grows to a height of 20 feet. The trunk frequently has branches. On the upper part of the stem, the flower head can reach a height of two feet. The bell-shaped, 23-inch-long, creamy-white or purple-tinged flowers bloom from March to May. The rigid, straight leaves with an 11/2 to 2 inch long, pointed spine at the end. The leaves are 2 to 4 1/2 feet long. Around the stem, the leaves extend outward. This plant serves as a nesting location for roadrunners and great horned owls.
Native Americans dried and ground the pulpy fruits of this and allied shrubby species into meal for use in the winter. They also ate the fruits raw or roasted. Ropes, mats, sandals, baskets, and textiles were all manufactured from the coarse fibers of the long leaves.
Where in New Mexico can you find cacti?
Cane chollas are comprised of cylindrical segments that are joined together and detach when in touch with an animal, just like all cholla cactuses. The spines are notoriously painful and difficult to remove when they come into touch with the skin (the use of a fine-tooth comb is necessary). The fruit was consumed by local indigenous people either raw, dried, stewed, or even processed into flour. The plant’s common name comes from the fact that after it dies, its intricately patterned wood is used to create furniture or canes.
The cane cholla is the most prevalent cholla cactus in New Mexico and is plainly visible in Petroglyph National Monument and White Sands National Park.
What kinds of cacti can you find in New Mexico?
of New Mexico’s cacti
- Pear-shaped beehive cactus. macromeris Coryphantha
- Beehive cactus with a strong spine. robustispine Coryphantha
- a cholla tree imbricata cylindricalpuntia.
- Holiday cholla Leptocaulis cylindropuntia
- cholla cane. Spinosior Cylindropuntia
- Cholla whipple. whipplei cylindropuntia
- animal crippler
- Claret-cup cactus of Arizona.
Cactus can be found in Santa Fe?
It’s time for spring cleaning: Let’s bring in the new! I tackled the misconception surrounding Old Mexico vs. New Mexico last month, and it got me in the mood to debunk another myth about Santa Fe. I’m going for spring green. I’m referring to how the springtime scenery in Santa Fe defies expectations.
When out-of-state news reports on New Mexico feature a majestic saguaro cactus towering over the Arizona desert, locals chuckle heartily! Similar to the frequent confusion between New Mexico and Mexico, a rumor that Santa Fe is a mountain desert has somehow spread. The mountain portion is accurate. That description is absolutely correct and stunning at 7,000 feet. The desert, though? Ask the visitors from Arizona who travel to Santa Fe in search of our crisp mountain air. Santa Fe actually has a Pion-Juniper Woodland! The modest and resilient juniper and the pion, our state tree, can grow with equal tenacity in the same region and can easily live for hundreds of years.
Cerrillos Hills State Park provides a spectacular setting for a hike with pion and juniper. (Cerrillos Hills State Park provided the image.)
A more comprehensive understanding of the natural ecosystem is necessary, even though healthy pions and junipers can be seen on each residential street. Cerrillos Hills State Park is definitely worth a visit. In Cerrillos Hills, the low-lying pinon-juniper woods is clearly visible, and rangers share intriguing information about the local flora and fauna. A trip to La Bajada with Outspire Hiking geologist/guide Scott Renbarger will offer you a rock-solid foundation in Santa Fe’s historic landscape if you have a budding geologist in your group.
Cacti abound in the Santa Fe gardens during spring flowering, however this is due to the area’s Southwestern geography rather than its location in a desert. Local gardeners adore the minimal upkeep needed. Prickly pear and cholla are drought-tolerant plants, and those who are knowledgeable about succulents may also add New Mexico pincushion or fishhook cacti for variation.
Jelly created from the prickly pear’s paddles whets appetites, and if you’re lucky, you might find some at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. Prickly pear green chile jam from the Santa Fe School of Cooking Market is one of my favorite ways to add some heat to a dish (hint: there’s also prickly pear syrup to coat that Easter ham). A memorable TGIF is made with a prickly pear margarita at The Shed or the Amaya Bar at the Hotel Santa Fe.
Local plant enthusiasts got a boost when the Santa Fe Botanical Garden opened in 2013; staying up to date on botany is simple with the Plant of the Month. A 14-acre location that took over fifteen years of careful preparation is now home to a variety of natural flora that provide a stunning backdrop for site-specific sculpture exhibitions. Regular lectures and seminars are a well-liked way to broaden your particular knowledge base now that the Orchard Gardens are finished. Phase Two, an educational and cultural facility called Ojos y Manos: Eyes and Hands, is moving forward with plans to open in 2016.
Birds of various feather types come to land in the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. (Santa Fe Botanical Garden attribution for photo)
On a tour to the Santa Fe Garden Club, it was clear that not being a desert has growing benefits. The Club launches Pequeno Tours (little in Spanish), which begin as soon as the flowers in April begin to bloom. The three to four hour tour, which is available from the middle of April until the end of October, takes guests to three magnificent homes with lovely gardens while they are accompanied by an expert guide. Your desire to return for Behind Adobe Walls, a pair of Tuesday tours (July 21 and 28) that visits eight magnificent residences situated in exquisite garden landscapes, will be whetted by seeing native plants and exotic species. These excursions are a gift because they teach about lovely flowers while showcasing Santa Fe-style architecture.
Thinking about distinctive homes physically takes me to El Rancho de las Golondrinas, one of my favorite spots to take in the expansive scenery of New Mexico. With the start of April, El Rancho celebrates the entrance of spring by offering docent tours (Monday–Friday), which are ideal for learning more about this historic ranch museum. Battlefields & Homefronts New Mexico: The Civil War and More is the first event on the schedule, taking place on May 2 and 3. Beginning in June, Wednesday through Sunday are dedicated to self-guided excursions; from summer through fall, weekends are brimming with cultural events that celebrate New Mexico’s history and the contributions of its hardworking citizens.
El Rancho de las Golondrinas’ Civil War weekend gives the Battle of Blue and Gray a southwestern perspective. (El Ranchi de las Golondrinas credit for photo)
I’m reminded of Leonora Curtin by Legacy. Her book Healing Herbs of the Upper Rio Grande is the product of her curiosity with the local herbs used by curanderas, natural healers who treated rural New Mexico people. A lover of nature, she spent a large portion of her childhood in Santa Fe in the late 1800s. El Rancho de las Golondrinas, which Curtin and her mother bought in 1932, is next to the spotless 35-acre refuge known as The Leonora Curtin Wetland, which bears her name. The preserve is open from May to October on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. On the first and third Saturdays, free guided tours are provided by docents from the Botanical Garden. The wetland is situated in a rare natural cienega, which is Spanish meaning marsh. It has three different plant zones that are well worth looking at.
I’ve argued for a more thorough investigation of Santa Fe’s nature. No, it’s not a desert, but it is dry—which is a huge bonus because the City Different is pleasant no matter the climate. Unbiting insects that can’t survive our altitude are absent, and we have excellent weather, which contributes to our attraction. You won’t ever think of Santa Fe as the home of saguaros again once your Santa Fe vacation displays the color provided by the climate in our pion-juniper woodland, I can assure you of that.
The patron saint of Santa Fe, St. Francis, is aware that spring heralds the arrival of the Summer of Color in Santa Fe.