Over the millenia, plants and animals have adapted and evolved side by side, frequently building advantageous connections where each benefits from the other. Animals give fertilization, and spread seeds from place to put. Plants thus give nourishment, safe shelter, hydration, and a place for raising the younglings. Everything exists in a cycle, a circle of life, if you will. A good case of this relationship exists is demonstrated here at southwestern Florida. Here you can find the prickly pear cactus sprouting. There are nine types of this Florida native, and they like unforgiving, dry conditions.
Prickly pears regularly develop flat, rounded cladodes (also called platyclades) defended with two sorts of spines; large, smooth, settled spines and little, hairlike prickles called glochids, that effectively enter skin of any animal or human that it comes into contact with and detach from the plant so you get to keep the prick with you which is very generous of them, really.
On to lighter matters, the prickly pear is a consumable desert flora that regularly pops up in dry and semi-dry lands. A member from the Cactaceae or desert plant family, it’s otherwise called nopal, Indian fig opuntia, barbary fig or cactus pear.
As mentioned, the plant has two leaves and spines that are sharp, while the vivid blossoms form into thorny pear fruits, which are otherwise called figs or tunas. Actually, the entire plant, from the flowers and fruits to the stems and the leaves, can be eaten. Prickly pear is considered to be a vital commercial crop in Mexico and other Latin American nations, and in addition in North Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
The Prickly pear is high in fiber, a good source of antioxidants, carotenoids and linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) and contains minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, as mentioned in The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Medicinal uses have been credited to thorny pear, especially its juices. Actually, in Mexican folk medicine, thorny pear desert flora mash and extract were helpful in treating skin wounds, stomach related issues such as swollen stomach, digestion problems and urinary tract infections (UTI).
The flowers will give nourishment to numerous bugs and even bats. The gopher tortoises will eat the blossoms, the fruits and the “pads,” which additionally give dampness in living habitats like scrub. Other local natural life who take advantage from these plants are quail, wild turkey, raccoons, woodpeckers, foxes, doves, rabbits and squirrels, even deer. The proof that these animals enjoy this free buffet is the bite marks from the cactus pods and the animal droppings you see all around the pears.
The dependence of both plants and animals and even humans on the prickly pear is a remarkable characteristic. This goes to show how much we depend on the natural environment. Fortunately for us there are conservatories that preserve these cactus species to be available for us in the future generations. If, however, we got you curious as to how the prickly pear fruit tastes like, then come on down to Naples, Florida and have a nice cactus snack.
