Michigan is known for its abundance of fruit crops. Think the cherries of Traverse City, the wine growing regions all along Lake Michigan and blueberries from South Haven to Holland. But would you ever think of cacti being native to Michigan? Surprisingly, they are.

A map was posted online to Reddit showing the geographic spread of native cacti.

Range of cacti
byu/colapepsikinnie ingeography

To be clear these are not the well known saguaro cactus plants of the desert southwest with its tall curving branches. These are more scrub and tend to like the sandy soils and dunes around the states lakes. These cacti are more of the prickly pear variety.

prickly pear cactus
Photo by shraga kopstein on Unsplash
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READ MORE: This Delicious Fruit Is Native To One Small Inaccessible Corner of Michigan

Those cacti can survive some really intense weather. I saw a video of some prickly pears in an abandoned lot in new york city just growing right in this area full of asphalt and gravel.

Two Michigander cacti-philes chimed in on the roots of cacti in the state.

In Michigan I have seen them wild mostly along dune areas adjacent to Lake Michigan, though they are supposedly also found in localized areas of Monroe county along sandy ridges. Just across the line over in Toledo, several parks have them growing in similar conditions in oak savannas and prairie remnants.

Michigan's range [on the map] is not high enough north. We have native cactus in Benzonia
We were riding dirt bikes up there one time and saw those. Some king of micro climate arid spot.

Prickly Pear Cactus
Photo by Anya Chernik on Unsplash
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And botanists can confirm the exact species of cactus that are native to Michigan

On is the endangered Fragile Prickly-pear (Opuntia fragilis) which is known from two sites. Prickly-pear (Opuntia cespitosa) occurs in southwestern Michigan and Monroe County in the extreme southeast corner. Our plants were called Opuntia humifusa, but that name is now used for an east coast species.

So should you ever stumble upon cacti in Michigan, first watch your feet. No one wants those prickers in you. Then, take a moment to marvel in the eastern prickly pear that is hardy enough to survive and thrive despite Michigan's harsh winters.

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