Actually quite juicy, cactus plants. When you cut an aloe plant open, visualize the mucilaginous liquid that is found inside the leaves. Actually, cactus plants store moisture in their plant cells so they have access to water when the weather is excessively dry or drought-like. Although they are remarkably tolerant of water neglect, there are some telltale signs in the leaves, pads, or stems that the plant is under stress from a lack of moisture. Knowing these warning signs and a little bit about the region and climate of your plant’s native habitat can help you determine when to water cactus plants.
The best time to water cactus plants depends on a variety of factors. Are the plants in pots or the ground? What is the exposure to light, the air temperature, the type of soil, the size of the plant, the exposure to wind or draft, and the season? Any form of cactus’ inability to tolerate standing water is a constant throughout the year. The type of soil is crucial in this regard.
For cactus health, loose, well-draining soil is crucial. If the soil is sufficiently porous, occasional overwatering won’t cause too much damage because the extra water will quickly drain away. Heavy, compact clay soils or those with large amounts of organic material have a tendency to hold water, which can lead to rot in the lower stems and roots of cacti. Full sun exposure and windy or drafty locations both cause plants to dry out more quickly than those in lower light levels.
Can a cactus provide you with water?
There are five places to look, three places not to look, and one reason to disregard it all.
Water balloon fights and, of course, the desert are two areas where you don’t want to be caught without water. But occasionally things don’t turn out as expected. Perhaps you miscalculated how far you’d be hiking, got lost in Zion’s backcountry, or, worse, your water bottle spilled. You’re currently outside in one of the hottest, driest, and most oppressive settings in the nation without a drop to drink. For advice on where to look for water in the desert, we turned to Tony Nester, a survivalist and the proprietor of the outdoor survival school Ancient Pathways in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Never leave your house without it. He used the occasion to remind us that the best course of action is to be ready and bring adequate water in the first place, waving a (friendly) finger in our faces. The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that, because there isn’t much water out here, the most dependable water supply is the tap at home or in your hotel room before you go.
Look within canyons that face north “Try looking for north-facing canyons if you have a topo map or if you can see them off the land from a ridgeline. Because they don’t have southern exposure and are shielded from sunlight for a large portion of the day when they fill up with snowmelt or rainfall, they have a tendency to retain water in large amounts, sometimes for months at a time. We’ve discovered pour-offs in canyons that face north and have practically more water in them than a Jacuzzi. Even if the water is sluggish, muddy, and likely home to pollywogs, it is still preferable to the alternative.”
Look for trees with large leaves that enjoy water.”
If you’re in the Mojave Desert, Africa, or the Middle East, look for the bright green foliage of cottonwoods, willows, aspens, or palm palms. You’re searching for broad-leaved, vibrant green foliage, which is very different from evergreens. When I take kids on a vacation, if we see a cottonwood, sycamore, or willow from a distance and it jumps out as a green assault on your eyes because it’s the only thing nearby that isn’t sand- or rock-colored, we frequently stake some time on walking to those. At the absolute least, you can dig a hole down to the roots underground and it will fill with water. They either have water on the surface in the form of a spring, have a water hole nearby, or both.”
Look for insects and birds “Look for insects and birds. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of luck in places like the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran Desert, where we’ll be hiking for five or six miles through an incredibly remote and desolate area when all of a sudden, we come around a bend and see a hummingbird, followed by a wasp, and then perhaps a butterfly. It’s crucial to pay attention to when life suddenly appears after several hours of nothingness. That’s how we’ve found water holes. Situational awareness will aid you in noticing this kind of thing because those animals are there for a reason.”
Get to a higher location “Getting to a vantage point is the final item that can truly assist. It doesn’t entail scaling a ridgeline or anything, but if you can stand a little higher on the trail and gaze around, you may occasionally catch a glimpse of the cottonwood and willow trees as well as reflections in the water. I always have a small pair of 8×24 binoculars with me. They are a vital element of my desert equipment because they allow me to focus on a water source that is trustworthy rather than worrying about something I see in the distance and using a lot of energy to get there.”
Never take a sip from a cactus.”
Solar stills are useless. Cacti cannot be made to produce water. These are the two myths that recur frequently in books and television. Cactus does not provide “water,” only a stomachache and vomiting. In movies, you may have seen a cowboy cut off the top of a large, barrel-shaped cactus—also known as a beach ball cactus—dip his ladle in, and take a sip of water. But that’s not water. It is a poisonous fluid with a high alkalinity level. That’s an issue because if you add any of that material to your body while you’re already experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stress, you’ll put more strain on your kidneys and put yourself in danger of developing heat stroke. In essence, you’re consuming something that your body must metabolize, which is not advised. Only one of the five varieties of barrel cactus—the fishhook barrel—is non-toxic, yet you can drink from them.”
Don’t rely on the cactus fruit, but do eat it “There are many cactus fruits that can be eaten, like prickly pears. In the summer, we’ll gather those in large quantities on our courses. To remove the tiny hairs and spines, you roast them in the coals for 30 seconds before eating them. But it won’t make up for the massive amounts of fluid you’ll need in the heat—the 2 or 3 liters of water.”
Don’t follow this advice. “The bottom line is that research from the Grand Canyon and search-and-rescue operations out here demonstrates that a person who is lost and runs out of waterin the summer, with triple-digit heatcan live up to 48 hours if they are wise with their own sweat. We’re talking about this person in a situation where they run out of water. So, adopt a cowboy mentality and wait for rescuers by hiding out in the shade, remaining hidden, and avoiding the wind. However, if you choose to continue looking for water in the heat of the day without doing that, you run the risk of suffering from heat stroke and passing out within three hours simply from overworking your “engine.” So, if you’ve told someone about your hiking intentions, be patient and wait for assistance.”
Through his Ancient Pathwaysschool, Tony Nester has been instructing outdoor survival courses throughout the arid southwest and Rocky Mountains for more than 20 years.
What substance is present inside a cactus?
According to new research, the sticky slime found inside prickly pear cacti can be used to remove arsenic, germs, and cloudiness from rural drinking water.
According to research at the University of South Florida in Tampa, the sticky slime found within prickly pear cacti that helps the plants store water in the desert can also be used to remove arsenic, germs, and cloudiness from rural drinking water.
The cactus’ special qualities were initially made known to biochemical engineer Norma Alcantar by her grandmother, a native of north central Mexico. There, turbid water obtained from the river was cleaned before being used for cooking or drinking using the leftover water after boiling the flat, oval-shaped prickly pear lobes for salads and other foods.
Mucilage separates off the fruit when it is boiled, according to Alcantar.
Mucilage is the cactus’ internal clear, sticky, viscous liquid that serves to encapsulate water inside the plant so it may live in the dry conditions of the desert.
Alcantar started looking at how the mucilage cleared up murky water. She discovered that the mucilage attaches to the dirt, causing the particles to congeal and grow into sufficiently sizable clumps to settle out of the water.
She then focused on additional water pollutants. The mucilage can also combine with arsenic, a water contaminant that can occur naturally or as a result of industrial or agricultural pollution, according to the group’s most recent studies.
By drawing the water through a sand filter, the complex of arsenic and mucin can be removed.
According to Alcantar, “sometimes we obtain 80 percent removal, and other times we get less than 50 percent removal.” We do not yet fully understand it, and we are unsure of the precise conditions that will allow the mucilage to remove the greatest amount of arsenic.
The level of arsenic in the water source will determine what percentage removal is necessary.
The mucilage can destroy germs in the water, according to other current study by Alcantar’s team, eliminating yet another possible issue with water quality. The mucilage either clings to the bacteria and forces them to settle out of the water or it engulfs the bacteria and starves them.
Sugars and carbs make up mucin. The group is looking into the precise relationships these elements have with bacteria, arsenic, and suspended particles. According to the research so far, the amount of charges on the particle changes when arsenic binds to the sugars, which alters the particle’s ability to remain dissolved. The other pollutants appear to be subject to comparable mechanisms.
According to Alcantar, a single prickly pear lobe would last a family of five for around five weeks. Alcantar’s team is still refining and designing the optimum system, but she envisions each family filtering their water through a device that is periodically refilled with new mucilage from prickly pears that are produced in their own backyards or in the neighborhood.
In Temamatla, Mexico, where she is working with families to develop and provide filters, one benefit of the method is that prickly pear is recognizable to local communities, which her work says will assist smooth its adoption by locals.
According to our poll, 97 percent of the community wanted a filter, especially if it was based on something they were familiar with.
According to Angela Lindner of the University of Florida in Gainesville, “there are a number of characteristics to this endeavor that I think are unique.” “She is familiar with these neighborhoods and is aware of the socioeconomic issues at play. She is keeping in mind that the individual who will be using these filters will also be the one consuming the water. In engineering design, that is incredibly uncommon.”
Can you consume the water found within a cactus?
Potable water should never be substituted with cactus. If you drink cactus water on an empty stomach, you’ll get diarrhea or vomit, which can further dehydrate you. This is due to the cactus pulp’s very acidic internal moisture. It’s better to avoid drinking any cactus water because your body will have to work harder to process the alkalis in it.
You could take a few drinks of fishhook barrel cactus in an emergency. The Seri Indians used this cactus as a source of emergency water, but when they drank it on an empty stomach, they complained of vomiting and discomfort in their bones.
Cacti come in more than 2,000 different varieties. Sometimes it might be challenging to correctly identify the types when they look similar to one another. You are suggested to familiarize yourself with the varieties of cacti, succulents, and shrubs that can be found in the area you are visiting or residing in.
Does the cactus contain water?
Cacti have numerous adaptations that enable them to survive in arid climates; these adaptations enable the plant to efficiently gather water, store it for a long time, and conserve it (minimizing water loss from evaporation).
Cacti have thick, succulent stems with rigid walls that store water when it rains. The stems are fleshy, green, and photosynthetic. Either the stem’s inside is spongey or hollow (depending on the cactus). The water inside the cactus is prevented from evaporating by a thick, waxy layer.
Long, fibrous roots are common in cactus, and these roots take moisture from the earth. Some cacti, such as ball cacti, have smaller, more compact roots that can capture dew that falls from the cactus.
Most cacti feature scales or spines in place of leaves (which are modified leaves). These scales and spines do not evaporate their water (unlike regular leaves, which lose a lot of water). Predators (animals that would like to consume the cactus to gain food and/or water) are kept at bay by the spines. On a cactus, areoles are a circular collection of spines. An areole is where flowers bud, and it is also where new stems branch.
Can you eat cactus interiors?
That’s right, you’re in better shape than you might think if you ever find yourself in the middle of a desert and you start to become hungry.
Almost all cacti species produce fruit that is theoretically edible, and most cacti can also be eaten once the spines have been removed.
This is due in part to the fact that cacti are technically classified as succulents, which are plants with “thick, meaty, water-storing leaves or stems, which give them a highly juicyand almost totally harmlessbite.”
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a tasty bite. Indeed, the flavor of cactus flesh and fruits varies greatly, from delectably sweet to completely bland to downright harsh.
There are a few varieties of edible cactus that might be more advantageous for you in the long run if you’re itching to delve into one of these spiky plants, including:
Opuntia (Prickly Pear) Cactus
Due to its extensive growing range, which extends from New Mexico to Massachusetts, and the fact that it is referred to as nopales on many Mexican restaurant menus, this succulent food may be the most well-known variety of edible cactus.
These delectable delicacies, which are technically slices from the Opuntia cactus paddle—once they’ve been de-spined, of course—read on the plate like green sweet peppers.
Additionally, they are frequently prepared in the kitchen like sweet peppers, sliced into strips, and frequently grilled or fried before being added to soups, side dishes, enchiladas, and other foods.
Saguaro Cactus
The Sonora Desert, home to the Saguaro Cactus, lies a little bit further south of the Prickly Pear’s range.
These imposing works of art are what most people think of when they hear the word “cactus”: the prickly green stick figures that can be seen in the background of numerous classic Western films.
Their fruit is historically used to make sticky delights like jam, jelly, syrup, and even wine, but it is more sweeter than their reputation would suggest.
The succulents’ stunning white flowers, which bloom primarily at night when it’s actually cool enough to risk exposing their pedals, are what give the succulents their sweet flavor. However, the meat of the saguaro can also be consumed, revealing a startlingly scarlet pulp with a mildly sweet flavor and seeds that have a nutty flavor.
Organ Pipe Cactus
Another endemic to Arizona, the Organ Pipe Cactus resembles its Saguaro relative but is smaller and has “arms that prefer to develop closer to their base. It is also native to Arizona.
The Pitahaya Dulce, or clutches of lavender flowers and brilliant crimson fruits, are the source of the cacti’s deliciousness, though, and they are located approximately midway up their trunks.
In case the name wasn’t obvious enough, the fruits are exceedingly sweet and have historically been utilized, much like the Saguaro, to produce sweet treats like jam, syrup, and wine.
Barrel Cactus
This cactus may sound weak and spineless, yet its flavor is truly brave.
Little barrel cactus have traditionally provided sustenance in the desert, and their meat is unusual among cacti in that it may be eaten raw. Additionally, their juicy pulp interior is an excellent source of water, especially if you’re stuck and beginning to encounter more mirages than you’d want.
Hoodia Gordonii
Away from the Americas, South Africa is where Hoodia Gordonii is mostly farmed.
Even if the cacti are very small and spiky, it is still worthwhile to dethorn the fruit. The cactus, which is frequently served in strips that are grilled or fried like its prickly pear relative, is at the center of a lot of South African cuisine because of its incredibly reviving flavor, which is similar to a cross between cucumber and mild berry.
Harrisia
These cacti, which range from the prickly pear to the prickly apple, are mostly found in South America, particularly in Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Uruguay. However, they are also known to appear in the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica, where their namesake, a botanist by the name of William Harris, first studied them.
They have beautiful white blossoms that bloom at night and are edible and lightly pleasant. Additionally, they produce prickly apple fruits, which are little brilliant yellow balls with a mild but savory and hard pulp inside.
It simply goes to show that even in the most unlikely locations, you can find something tasty to eat.