Cactus Recap

By Felicia Fredd

The cactus pictured above is Escobaria vivipara, or Spiny Star cactus—a species that grows right here in Abiquiú, NM. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, it's actually the most widespread cactus in North America, and yet I had never seen it in my life until two weeks ago, when I stumbled upon a field of them in bloom. The color you see in the photo above is not enhanced; it is the actual deep rich color that appears for the first two hours of the flower’s opening. After that, the petals soften into a silky wash of bright pink and silver. It’s one of the final cactus blooms of spring.

The Cholla bloom, occurring now, will mark the end of this year’s cactus flower season. It is now too hot and dry for them to expend the energy. As I write, I’m waiting for the big rainstorm (that one was supposed to begin yesterday) to finally provide the deep watering even my cacti need. I don’t have irrigation water for my desert garden project in the badland foothills of Abiquiú, where efforts so far have been a labor of observation, small moves, and more observation. I have found native plants I can work with, and important structural considerations I can provide to help native plants grow here, but it’s still tricky.

In previous articles, I’ve covered a few of the many reasons why native plants are so special, but it’s also important to acknowledge that even the most rugged natives can be hard to grow. Plants are just so bloody complicated. Sure, you’ve seen things growing in cracks in the sidewalk, or dangling from cliff faces, but it’s 50/50, or less, as to whether they’ll agree to grow where you intend.

My cacti, it turns out, are some of the most cooperative, easy to propagate, fast growing, and fascinating plants in my baby gardens. Ultimately, I’m envisioning a mosaic of tightly clustered cacti mounds full of texture and form. That will take a minute, but in the meantime, I’ve also found some good companion plants that can help build out texture, cover soil, and provide a little dappled shade relief from the blazing sun (cacti can benefit from a little shade too). Indian rice grass is fantastic for this. It just shows up, basically. That, and an annual buckwheat that reseeds every year —a little fuzzy silver rosette that will eventually form a delicate umbrella of flowers. It’s an odd plant - best ‘en-masse’ as they say, and looks like baby’s breath.

I know that many New Mexico gardeners are learning what it means to grow plants in increasingly extreme conditions, with tighter limits on time and water. Many are also becoming more interested in ecological gardening. According to AI, ‘natural gardening’ is now the most common garden topic on the internet as people are actively seeking ideas and inspiration. So, I’d like to revisit something beautiful: the vivid, if fleeting, sequence of cactus blooms that unfolded this spring in Abiquiú over a period of six weeks. It’s hardly a comprehensive list of the species growing here—or that could grow here. I’m just limited to showing plant photos that actually belong to me. Check out more at: https://www.americansouthwest.net/plants/cacti/new-mexico.html

​Maximalism is the second most explored garden topic. To me, maximalism is best exemplified by the art of Dr. Seuss. I think the current vibe on that is essentially the same thing - layered, bold, weird, and wonderful. Cacti fit right in to that trend as well. In first to last to bloom order: