Prickly Pear Cactus #2 - First Flower

I have one really healthy prickly pear cactus (#1). Another two basically lay flat on the ground as damaged plants(#2-3). The fourth barely clings to life and after four years has it's first tiny bud.

This is the first flower from prickly pear #2...a flat one.

It was a gorgeous flower. The pedals an extraordinary pink, the pistil and stamen a brilliant gold. Even golden flecks of pollen could be clearly seen splashed upon the petals. [Enlarge to see pollen flakes on petals and stamen clearly.]

Bees were hovering, ready to use this flower to pollinate other cacti ready to burst into flowers.

Cactus flowers live only one day, then shrivel. Your timing has to be impeccable to find them in full bloom.

There will be many blips of cactus flowers over the course of the next couple of weeks as my 'babies' bloom. There are dozens of buds on the four prickly pears.

I also have one 14" columnar cactus and one round one about 4" in diameter and 4" tall. Wait until you see that one bloom! You won't believe your eyes!