What could be further from our mind on this snowy day than cactus, specifically Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia humifusa? Yes, there is a native cactus in our parts particularly in sandy fields and plains, open oak forests, sometimes in disturbed ground as along roadsides, especially along Lakes Michigan and Erie in Michigan.

Requires full sun and sandy soils, Prickly Pear will bloom yellow in June or July and stand about 12 inches tall.