Fairyslipper and coral root orchids bloom on moist, north-facing slopes in the foothills. In March, we mistakenly wrote that yellow lady’s-slipper orchids occur in Boulder County. If anyone does know ...

Question: I recently bought my first home in Santa Rosa. The backyard has a prickly pear cactus that’s about 6 feet tall. Since it’s the first time I’ve owned one, can you share information about it ...

The desert prickly-pear, known to botanists as Opuntia phaeacantha, is the Southwest's most widespread and abundant species of cactus. Unlike the giant saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) that is restricted ...

Some plants have spines and prickles either to stop animals from eating their precious leaves, protect the pollinators feeding on their flowers by stopping birds from landing on them, or to help their ...

The dazzling white blooms of saguaros and showy yellow palo verde trees get lots of attention at this time of year — but the often underrated blooms of cholla and prickly pear cacti are putting on ...

It began innocently enough. While trail running at the El Modena Open Space in Orange a few years ago, I lost my balance and threw out my arms for stability. That’s when I backhanded a coastal prickly ...

Last May I went to Knowles Canyon Overlook Campground to enjoy magnificent scenery. Quite unexpectedly, I stumbled across small beetles in cactus blooms and an unexpected ecological interaction. As ...