A Traveler and his Cat exploring America.





Friday, December 5, 2014

Baby Barrel


I had never seen a baby barrel cactus before and really didn't think I would be able to find one either, but I did.  You can see by the size of the rock pebbles this little feller isn't very big at all.  What is impressive is how much effort is expended to get those spines up and out there in size before the plant really begins to grow.  A real good defense mechanism. 

Flower fluff

Some close-ups of the spines on a mature barrel cactus.





6 comments:

s.c said...

Looks a bit like a sea anemone.

biebkriebels said...

It is a strong plant to survive in these hard conditions.

MarkD60 said...

More like "Thornball" I can imagine stepping on it barefoot.

Linda Kay said...

Cactus have become more interesting to me over time. I used to dislike them, but find now that I'm fascinated at their survival.

TexWisGirl said...

grow little baby! :)

EG CameraGirl said...

The spines are ferocious looking!