Yes folks, let's dispell the myth right now: Colorado grows all sorts of cacti! While it's true that my home state isn't as "lush" with cacti and desert tundra compared to places like New Mexico, Arizona and southern California, remember that much of Colorado has a fairly arid climate. Arizona has a "dry heat", and Colorado has a "dry cold!"

In elevations ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet in altitude, cacti grow quite well and even flourish in some areas. For example, you'll notice many "walking stick" cacti in areas near Pueblo and Canon City. (See my "kissing cacti" page for photos of that particular cactus.) Also, up and down Colorado's front range, it is quite common to see wild prickly pear cacti as a native wild plant. My hike this summer at Castlewood Canyon State Park (approximately 35 miles south of Denver) will illustrate just that.

Note the bloom bright yellow flower of the cacti in the adjacent photo. Wowwee! And that's not a grafted cacti some shamefully construct that you might see in your average retail store. That's a 100% legitimate cactus in bloom!

Notice that some of these prickly pears can grow fairly large in territorial space, as seen in the bottom right photo on this page. Pretty amazing, huh?

I did this reasonably short hike inside Castlewood Canyon Park in June 2005. It's definitely an interesting canyon situated in Colorado's eastern plains, and if you should visit, you'll certainly enjoy the hike inside the canyon and the fascinating rock structures. Just keep your eye out for the cacti ... they're there too! :)

(This article was contributed by Steve Garufi in Buena Vista, Colorado.)

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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Below are two more photos of blooming prickly pear cacti inside the park. Click on each photo to see a zoom-in shot!