PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
(sp. Opuntia var.)
It’s been called Cow’s Tongue, and
its fruit (the pears) make an exotic
tasting jelly or jam.
Ranchers like to burn the thorns
off the Prickly Pear Cactus before
allowing their cattle to feed
on them.
Prickly Pears were one of the
few reliable food sources in the
early days of South Texas.
RED CORAL BEAN PLANT
(sp. Erythrina herbacea)
Also known as Fireman’s Cap (the flower)
and Cherokee Beans, the Red Coral Bean
Plant has attractant, red, sabre-shaped
flowers that are a favorite of Hummingbirds. The American Natives used the
beans for necklaces.
The beans are toxic and should be kept
away from children.
LORE: The Aztecs used the beans in one
or more of their Pagan Rituals. These
were the same guys who were also big on
Human Sacrifice.
53