Opuntia flower from the Nopal cactus
Opuntia flower from the nopal “paddle” cactus next to my home.
My wife and I take a daily walk after dinner around the neighborhood, but today I brought my camera to show you this large nopal or as some people call it “paddle” cactus plant. The main image above is a close up of the Opuntia flower growing from the cactus. Here is a wide angle view, showing the large area.
The nopal cactus is edible and found in many Mexican dishes. There’s also the Opuntia fruit, which instead of the flower is a prickly round edible fruit that is sometimes called a “prickly pear” or in Spanish “tuna”, go figure.
This group of nopal plants are hidden away in our neighborhood, they border the river in a common area, but are blocked by bushes and a fence. However, it seems a few people know about it’s location as I’ve seen a few people harvest the ripe nopales.
Ramon
Ramon has been an avid photographer for over 20 years. He runs and contributes to several photography sites including OCSurfPix.com and OCPix. His main expertise is in advertising and online marketing but photography has always remained a top priority. For photography reviews and tutorials visit my OCPix Youtube Channel!
Follow Me: