Megan Purich
Prickly Pear Cactus
The past few weeks in Wilmington have been quite unpredictable when it comes to the weather. One day the ground is covered in a thin layer of ice and snow, and the next day it is 65°F and sunny. According to Wilmington’s Star News, the cactus pictured above is a Prickly Pear Cactus that governs the island of Wrightsville Beach. This cactus is especially common because it has the ability to grow outside of desert conditions. In general, cacti are able to withstand high temperatures during the day, but also survive during the colder temperatures at night. Wilmington experiences both temperature extremes that the cactus can survive in. This cactus also grows just outside the beach because of the prime condition of the solid. The Prickly Pear Cactus is most abundant in soil that is mostly comprised of sand, so there is a lot of drainage. That is one of the main reasons why the cactus appears on Wrightsville Beach, rather than the inner city of Wilmington. Another interesting part of this photo is the angle at which the cactus is growing at. It appears to be growing sideways, rather than straight up. This is most likely due to sunlight. Cacti thrive on the abundance of sunlight. The Prickly Pear Cactus is very broad, so it grows sideways to increase the surface area exposed to the sun. It also appears to be growing away from the nearby vegetation, so it will not be affect by shade.
Source:
www.starnewsonline.com/news/20081107/prickly-pear-cactus-...
Prickly Pear Cactus
The past few weeks in Wilmington have been quite unpredictable when it comes to the weather. One day the ground is covered in a thin layer of ice and snow, and the next day it is 65°F and sunny. According to Wilmington’s Star News, the cactus pictured above is a Prickly Pear Cactus that governs the island of Wrightsville Beach. This cactus is especially common because it has the ability to grow outside of desert conditions. In general, cacti are able to withstand high temperatures during the day, but also survive during the colder temperatures at night. Wilmington experiences both temperature extremes that the cactus can survive in. This cactus also grows just outside the beach because of the prime condition of the solid. The Prickly Pear Cactus is most abundant in soil that is mostly comprised of sand, so there is a lot of drainage. That is one of the main reasons why the cactus appears on Wrightsville Beach, rather than the inner city of Wilmington. Another interesting part of this photo is the angle at which the cactus is growing at. It appears to be growing sideways, rather than straight up. This is most likely due to sunlight. Cacti thrive on the abundance of sunlight. The Prickly Pear Cactus is very broad, so it grows sideways to increase the surface area exposed to the sun. It also appears to be growing away from the nearby vegetation, so it will not be affect by shade.
Source:
www.starnewsonline.com/news/20081107/prickly-pear-cactus-...