To frighten off any hungry birds or animals who might like to take a nibble at the flowers. The spikes on a cactus are really its leaves. They usually grow in little groups around the flowers on the cactus. The spikes are long and very sharp.
Watch those spikes!
Cactuses live in very dry places such as deserts. If cactuses had ordinary leaves like other plants do, they would dry up in the hot sun.
Desert flowers
In spring it rains and the cactus flowers get ready to bloom. Their flowers blossom between June and December.
Spiky facts
- Native Americans in Arizona used to use cactus spikes as pins.
- The biggest cactus in the world is ten times taller than a person.
- In Mexico, hollow giant cactuses are used as a place to store grain -prickly spines make them mouse-proof.
