Watercolor Drawing Prickly Pear Cactus, A Native of Tennessee: Devil’s Tongue

HAPPY CACTUS MONDAY!

Prickly Pear Cactus Native to Tennessee
June 14, 2009
Watercolor Pencils, Micron Pens, and ZIG White Oil-based Pen


Photo June 12, 2009 Front Yard Garden
Prickly Pear Cactus and Heuchera or Amber Waves

Cathy, a friend of Lewis, brought him a sprig of prickly pear cactus from her Trousdale County farm in Middle Tennessee. I did not know that a prickly pear cactus could survive outside in the sometimes very cold winter nights of Middle Tennessee. But our small spring is now about 2 and a half feet tall and has spread in the garden. It lives next to several other cactus that Lew bought at the home depot. Some have to winter over in pots but the native cactus has flourished through the last three winters.

Growing among the cactus in our front flower bed are Heuchera. A beautiful and delicate flower with common names like Blushing Bells, Coral Bells, and Amber Waves. They burst into many different colored leaves with mixtures of yellow ochre, golden lemon shades, and the other varieties that are bright green with a twist of lime tint.

For other photos and information about Devil’s Tongue see these two sites:

Gardening in the Home Landscape with Photos of Prickly Pear from Cedar Glades

Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) - devil's-tongue USDA site for distribution of Prickly Pear in TN.