Prickly Pear

Opuntia polycantha

 Graphite on paper, 8x10

Plains prickly pear cactus is a Utah native, cold hardy cactus. It is good for xeriscape, edible, and a food source for humans and wildlife.

Prickly pear jam is delicious, but a lot of work to harvest the fruit with tongs, deal with the spines, and then process. The flesh of the stems can be cooked and eaten or used as medicine. The spines used as fishhooks, and the fruit used as dye.