Out in the Driftless area, pockets of sand-dominated land
that face the hot afternoon sun create xeric conditions that support sand
prairies. These prairies feel different than the wetter prairies many of us are
used to, but the harsh conditions support unique life, including an unlikely
Wisconsin plant- the prickly pear cactus. Prickly pears grow in many places,
and Wisconsin has two species, the more common eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) and the
state-threatened brittle prickly pear (O.
fragilis). We arrived too early for the yellow flowers on these spiky
plants, but the buds look ready to bloom soon. Luckily, some hairy puccoons (Lithospermum caroliniense) were showing their yellow flowers
already.
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