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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As you journey through these desert landscapes, you'll see why cacti have become such powerful symbols of endurance and survival, ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The Chihuahuan Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most diverse in the world.

Increasingly frequent and severe heat waves in the Southwest are damaging some desert plants known for thriving in harsh conditions. Saguaro cacti and agave have both suffered in sweltering weather ...

With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them. But large solar energy facilities are one threat that cacti weren’t ...

Cacti may look like slow, stubborn desert survivors, but they’re actually evolving at lightning speed. Scientists studying ...

Soon I’ll trek into the Mojave Desert, once again chasing cactus colors: strawberry hedgehog cactus on spiky gray columns, pale yellow pencil cholla flowers at sunset. I’ll return in May to see ...

Signaling the end of spring, smoke trees in the desert washes become dotted with tiny bluish-purple blooms at the beginning of summer each year. The color is deep and distinct and has been revered by ...

With their tough skins, pointy armor and legendary stamina, cacti are made to defend themselves from whatever nature throws at them. But large solar energy facilities are one threat that cacti weren’t ...