Photographs of Big Bend National Park

Keywords: Big Bend National Park, Texas, cactus, cacti, Chihuahuan Desert plants, red spines

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Big Bend National Park > Cacti > Photographs

Ferocactus hamatacanthus - Texas barrel cactus, near the start of the Hot Springs Road

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Ferocacti are most abundant in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California, where they grow large, up to 8 feet tall; the only Big Bend species (f. hamatacanthus) is rather smaller, rarely exceeding one foot, but still has the long, thick spines common to all varieties. Older plants branch at the base, but most remain solitary. Flowers are yellow, 2 to 3 inches across, and form in a ring near the apex.

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