SPAIN is renowned for its plethora of cactus varieties – including the Pachycereus Pringlet – that can grow up to 21 feet. Known as Cardón, a name derived from the Spanish word Cardo, meaning “thistle.”
Costa Blanca and Costa Calida Leader newspaper reporter Andrew Atkinson snapped a photo of a decade old cactus (pictured) about to bloom – with it’s huge trio of bulbous flower heads striking in August.
Large stands of these magnificent cactus still exist – many have been destroyed – as land is cleared.
The fruit of many cactus were an important food diet in decades past, the flesh of the cactus containing alkaloids.
The photo below shows it just before going into flower.
