Fairyslipper and coral root orchids bloom on moist, north-facing slopes in the foothills. In March, we mistakenly wrote that yellow lady’s-slipper orchids occur in Boulder County. If anyone does know ...

I didn't want to be a plant snob. So I told myself I at least appreciated some merits of the homely cactus. The prickly pear, after all, is a role model for water conservation. The flowers are pretty ...

The prickly pear cactus is probably the most identifiable plant (besides the saguaro) in the Sonoran Desert. The species most often seen in the wild here is Engelmann prickly pear, or Opuntia ...

Question: I recently bought my first home in Santa Rosa. The backyard has a prickly pear cactus that’s about 6 feet tall. Since it’s the first time I’ve owned one, can you share information about it ...

The dazzling white blooms of saguaros and showy yellow palo verde trees get lots of attention at this time of year — but the often underrated blooms of cholla and prickly pear cacti are putting on ...

Walnut Creek’s Ruth Bancroft is a national authority on drought-resistant gardening. Twice a month, she and her staff share their knowledge with readers. Q We have a large, old (probably about 40 ...

All over the desert, rain will bring one of the biggest cactus flower shows in years. Existing cactus plants in gardens and landscapes as well as in the wild will be reproducing with a vengeance after ...

Q: I appear to have a massive infestation of white, cottony cochineal scale on my prickly pear cactus. I can usually get most of it off by hosing, but much of it is hard to reach. Beyond hosing, what ...

One year after retiring from the University of Georgia’s Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens in Savannah I find myself desperately missing cactus. I know what you are thinking. If The Garden Guy is ...

April showers produce May’s flowers, as the old saying goes. That adage assumes there are April showers, but the liquid from above was sufficient for Leon County in April 2021. This year’s spring ...

Q: I have a problem with the prickly pear cactus in my yard. It has developed a white substance emanating from the pores containing the needle. Soon after, the lobe thus affected starts to turn yellow ...

A night of holiday-party drinking doesn't have to be painful the next morning, thanks to a common desert plant. The fruit of the prickly pear cactus is a lean, mean hangover-fighting machine. Grown in ...