Nature celebrates the upcoming summer solstice by offering flowers for us to enjoy. One of the showiest and most unusual is the prickly pear cactus. “That’s right, there is a cactus considered to be an Ohio native, and it typically blooms around the solstice, adding beautifully showy yellow blooms to the dry, sun-baked sandy areas of Oak Openings,” said Art Weber, Metroparks nature photographer. Not a tall cactus, it typically grows in a patch with its six-inch, spade-like pads ringed with well-spaced needle-like spines.
While the spines are easily avoided, they can be painful for a careless passer-by. Harder to avoid are the stiff hairs on the pads which can easily penetrate the skin and cause irritation. Better to admire prickly-pear from a safe distance. Better for the plants, too, since they’ve become increasingly rare in Ohio. The Oak Openings region is considered the last stronghold in the state for these showy plants.
Oak Openings Region is loaded with rarities, and for a number of plants it’s the only place in Ohio they can be found. Largely because of Oak Openings, there are more rare species in Lucas County than any other place in the state by far. The prickly pear image, above, was photographed by Mr. Weber.
