Butterflies, wasps, flies and bees are attracted to and feed on the nectar produced by the flowers ... green and well-protected with prickly hairs. The stems are equally armored.

Prickly pears are edible plants. While it's true their flowers and stems are also edible, many people choose to only harvest and eat the fruit this plant produces. The fruit will be ready to eat ...

They can survive in these regions because of common cacti adaptations, whereby water is stored in thick stems ... Prickly pears can take several years before they are mature enough to flower ...

Greenish flowers appear on the tips of stems. Prickly pear cactus have flat, oval pads covered in spines. Pollinators love the pink blossoms, and the flowers are a beautiful contrast to the the ...

The sow thistle has quite a succulent stem when it flowers, and the foliage oozes a milky sap when cut. It is most likely to be confused with a closely related species called prickly sow thistle ...