Prickly Pear (2050)

The Prickly Pear is Cascadia’s only cactus; also called the Brittle Prickly Pear or Little Prickly Pear, it is found in areas that are dry and open.  It is a herb and a member of the Cactaceae Family. Stems and fleshy leaves were often pit roasted, boiled, or steamed for food by Native Americans. Fire-roasted stems were considered a dessert for children. (If you wish to see local cactus in the wilds, visit Goose Rock by Deception Pass.)  Mature specimens are found in the wooden planters under Kiosk roofs that receive no rainfall. WWU SAM extinction probability is slight, <.0001%, although if you come with a garden shovel and a grocery bag and dig out a trophy, 10 more trips will eliminate this species from the Gardens. It is a strange paradox: some native plants’ most dangerous extinction threat is those who love native plants. Even breaking a tree limb to show students (some teachers do), hurts a plant’s chance of survival in the Gardens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia_fragilis

Hiking to Goose Rock at Deception Pass State Park


https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=OPFR
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=opuntia+fragilis 
https://www.plc215.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Kiosk-16.pdf

Gardens Prose & Primary Level Question
Best answer:

G2051
G2053
G2055

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