Beavertail cactuses are like the daffodils of the southwest. The magenta blooms of beavertail can be seen glowing in the Arizona sun as early as February or March, long before other prickly pear, cholla cactus, or saguaros blooms.

Named for the shape of their pads, this cactus lacks the spines of its relatives, and instead has tiny glochids (which are just as painful). Its berries or “tunas” are edible, along with the pads, and are said to stabilize blood sugar.

This beavertail bloomed on my birthday in one of my favorite Arizona locations, Lees Ferry. Its intensely colored petals glowed like lit candles on a cake, and as the sun set, I thanked God for another year.