Agriculture and Wildlife

Bowl Cactus
The bowl cactus is a common and well-known cactus. It thrives in slightly sandy soil with little grass, allowing plenty of room for its extensive root system. Bowl cacti tend to spread through runners, with new plants forming from the widespread but shallow roots.

Buds are green and roughly spherical, 1-2 feet in diameter when fully grown. Buds are covered in clusters of pale yellow or white spines approx. 1 inch long. These spines splinter easily and can be difficult to remove from tissue, but it's simple to cut or avoid them.

If the spines and outer layer of skin are removed, the flesh can be dried to form surprisingly durable dishware and containers. Wax from a whisker cactus is often used to seal the surface.

Whisker Cactus
The whisker cactus, also called the cat's ear or wax cactus, is a small round cactus known for its distinctive wool-like spines.

The surface of the 1-3in cactus is covered in thin spines that resemble cotton. Though soft in appearance, the thin spines are sharp and break easily, so protection is required to keep the fibres from becoming embedded in the skin. The cacti produce small yellow flowers that form small woolly seed pods.

Whisker cacti tend to grow in clusters around the base of other cacti and plants, feeding parastically on the host. Their seed pods tend to cling to the fur of animals that touch them, allowing seeds to spread far beyond the host.

Whisker cacti are often cultivated due to the thick dark wax that collects inside of them. The wax is widely used as a sealant, in candlemaking, food processing and storage, and in some cosmetics.