The proud owner of this fine, potted Beaver Tail Cactus was so happy this spectacular flower opened on the first day of summer. "That it just so happened to bloom on the first day of summer," he said, "after all the hootin' and hollerin' we did on the solstice, just makes me happy."

This particular specimen lives in a medium sized, 14 inch clay pot on a ledge that gets only morning sun. Due to the sun limitation, this plant didn't produce an abundance of flowers like others in the ground just feet away, around the corner on a south slope. In fact, this flower is the only flower it produced this year, and it's perched on the furthest branch towards the sun.

Once established, this hardy cactus will propagate easily by clipping. Wearing garden gloves, simply snip an entire branch (a single 'beaver tail'), let it harden for a day or so in the shade without soil, then plant it in a porous planting medium made especially for growing cactus. If you're going to plant it in the ground, make sure the soil is well drained, not clay. Cactus will drown if they sit in soggy soil. If the soil tends towards clay, don't try to mend the problem by adding pure sand. Instead, dig out a space large enough to completely replace the clay. Brew up a nice recipe for an average, sandy soil; replace the old clay with your new Cactus Delight, a soil especially delicious to Beaver Tail (and other cacti). They will pay you back with flowers like this!