Endangered Pima Pineapple Cactus, Tucson, Arizona
These cactus all bloom together on a single day each year and today was the day. We've been watching the buds for a few days so we knew it was coming. This particular patch has a special place in my heart. It is the highest density of the cactus I've ever found. The area has been undergoing urban sprawl at a ridiculous rate, destroying the habitat for the cactus. About fifteen years ago I was driving past the cactus patch and a developer was blading nearby. One of the workers was carrying a pineapple cactus by the roots back to his truck. I called Fish and Wildlife Service as soon as I got home. Within a week, there was an exclosure fence built around the cactus patch, about a half acre in size. It wasn't much compared to the thousands of acres that have been bladed but the half acre is still protected and the cactus still thrive there.