Prickly Pear Cactus Flowers

I went for a walk yesterday morning and the prickly pear cactus flowers were closed because it wasn't warm enough outside.

Closed prickly pear cactus flowers.

I went out later in the early afternoon and most of the flowers were all open and the bees were buzzing from flower-to-flower. The flowers range in color from yellow to a pale apricot color.

I just love this shade of yellow and how delicate the flowers look amongst the thorns of the cactus.

This is a cholla cactus and the buds are forming.

Closer look at the cholla cactus buds. These beauties will bloom into the prettiest shade of fuchsia.

I gathered prickly pear cactus apples last year and made a dye for dying some wool yarn. I also made a second dying which came out pinker. I knit this vest in the lighter yarn that was dyed from the cactus juice.
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