Cacti in the north?

[jimbo1]

awesome pics keg thanks for sharing!

[pikergolf]

Very nice photos Keg, thanks

[FishBrain]

Awesome pics Keg...THank you
I was lucky enough to have my Cactus at home bloom last year, cant remember the name but it is that Arizona cactus that you see in all the cowboy movies, mine is much smaller but the flower it produced was awesome! I will try to find a pic.

[Lilbita1]

A nice fellow showed me possibly those very same cacti a few years ago not to far east of your namesake. Those pics (and your others) are superb. Must be a great feeling to capture those shots.

The crocus on my land bloom in early to mid april at latitude 58 in Northern Alta. I keep hoping to find a stray cacti here too, but although the land is similar to the Banks of the Peace I am up a tributary so I doubt I will ever succeed.

[greylynx]

Those little cacti buds have a very nice concentrated flavour.

The Peace Country ol timers used to add those little budds to their moonshine.

[Redfrog]

WB I've seen the wild tomatoes. Didn't realize they were edible. I think it was about 15 years ago in the Taber/Purple springs area but my recollection could be off a bit.

There are some outstanding displays of cactus blossoms near the river on 884 south.

I have also sen some ball cacti around Hanna.

[Northern Canuck]

Those flowers turn into a grape like berries that are delicious. I use to pick them and in one of our pastures back in Manitoba and eat them. They actually make jam or jelly out of them in areas where they are abundant.

[Stumpslayer]

Another place you can find cacti but not quite so far north is at the Kleskun hills park just about 15 minutes east of Grande Prairie on the north side of highway 43. Seen them there before too.

[Tundra Monkey]

Cool post.....thank you for sharing Keg.....and cool add ins WB

tm

[rugatika]

wow...very cool. I was blown away when I learned they grew in southern Alberta...never would have guessed they grow that far north. Thanks.

[WayneChristie]

didnt know they grew that far north, lots of them around here, no way Id ever try and shoot prone, bad enough picking them out of your boots
see lots blooming around the forks, but they are behind schedule like everything else down here this year.
A few southern blooms from 2009, was at the same spot today and saw no blooms at all, but everything is a month behind this year.

[BeeGuy]

Hey great post.

Your cacti from the north are the *****ly pear Opuntia fragilis, and WC's cacti from the south are *****ly pear Opuntia polyacantha.

Here is Escobaria vivipara, the ball cactus.

All 3 of Alberta's cacti which we have represented here are flowering in southern Alberta.

I included pics of white beardstongue with a native bee, a toad, and a meloid beetle from the same outing.

There are 1 or 2 native bee species which are specialist pollinators of Opuntia in Alberta, however they are not well known. I'm very interested to see if they occur in the Peace.

cheers

[BeeGuy]

hahahahaha. it censored pri-ckly, but i think you get the idea

[Mxyzptik]

We saw them on the North bank of the river in the 80's , upstream from the La Crete ferry crossing so I knew they were there. Unfortunately we were never around when they were blooming.

I did see the desert in bloom this past April in Arizona and it was spectacular.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Lilbita1

A nice fellow showed me possibly those very same cacti a few years ago not to far east of your namesake. Those pics (and your others) are superb. Must be a great feeling to capture those shots.

The crocus on my land bloom in early to mid april at latitude 58 in Northern Alta. I keep hoping to find a stray cacti here too, but although the land is similar to the Banks of the Peace I am up a tributary so I doubt I will ever succeed.

Did I mention that those photos were taken at Carcajou, or did you guess?
But they do occur all along the Peace, wherever the conditions are favourable.
Look for them on any steep south or southeast facing slope with sandy soil.

[Lilbita1]

'twas a guess.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

In the south, we have a native wild tomato. You can find them near Gopher holes. The fruit is a different flavour from the commercialized tomato, but good, very unique. Anybody else know what I'm talking about?

Originally Posted by Redfrog

WB I've seen the wild tomatoes. Didn't realize they were edible. I think it was about 15 years ago in the Taber/Purple springs area but my recollection could be off a bit.

I've searched unsuccessfully for the book I have/had that documented this plant. IIRC, the book described them as a wild tomato. The "tomato" I'm talking about usually grow by gopher holes, or other bare dirt areas in native prairie. They are like little cherry tomatos in size, turning yellow with the first frost. They are quite sweet. They are edible, in moderation.
I've found them mostly in the south, Milk River Ridge, Pinhorn, Sage Creek....


Anyone else seen them, or know what it is? Beeguy?

[Redfrog]

Yep that's the one I'm talking about. I just never tried to eat them.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Redfrog

Yep that's the one I'm talking about. I just never tried to eat them.

Finally figured it out.

The "Wild Prairie Tomatos" are CutLeaf Nightshade ( Solanum triflorum Nutt.)
A close relative of the tomato family.

This is a native plant to Alberta. And they are edible, with caution advised. Do not eat the unripe fruit. Alkaloid concentrations are high at this stage, like eating Green Potato skin.

The Zuni made a Salsa with the ripe fruit, boiled and mixed with chillies.

Blackfoot used them as food when neccessary and as a medicine for children with stomache aches/diarrhea.

For the Gardeners.... Acoma and Laguna Indians planted CutLeaf Nightshade with watermelons to make them more prolific and ripen early.

For the Horse guys.... Ramah Navaho made a cold infusion of Cutleaf Nightshade, used it as lotion on horses' sores.


If you believe in the theory of an alkaline body ph helping to reduce cancer, this food will help you get there.


I find these wild tomatos when chasing Pronghorns or Mule deer in the Archery season, they seem to ripen mid to late September. Don't be shy, try one....


A few more pics here....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougcwaylett/2715259438/

http://montana.plant-life.org/

[Redfrog]

Yep that's dem. Thanks for the info. Mixed with chillies for salsa? HMMMM! I'll bet that would get a guy out of bed in the a.m.