Cactus Flower Guide

Identification

• Cactus flowers are larger and more complex than those of many other plants. While most flowers have 10 or fewer petals and stamen, or the male part of the flower, cacti flowers have dozens of each.

Function

• Desert wildlife depend on cactus flowers as a food source. Animals, birds and insects, like hummingbirds and fruit bats, eat the nectar, pollen and the flowers.

Types

• Each cactus produces a different type of bloom. For example, the tall saguaro cactus produces daisylike flowers with white petals, while the Soehrensia bruchii blooms in bright red flowers.