Description   Taken on a tripod with the TL 120.

About the Image   This image was taken in Big Bend National Park in Texas close to the Mexico border. It was the first time I had ever seen purple cactus! The Purple Prickly Pear Cactus is a member of the Opuntia genus. It can grow to 5 feet in height and has round to oblong purple tinged pads which give the cactus its name. Unlike many other types of prickly pear, the purple variety has few if any spines. The cactus grows in sandy or gravelly soil at elevations below 4000 feet.