Summer 2024: Found on MassPike
Walking home from Back Bay train station on August 20, some odd plant shapes caught my eye. They were growing alongside a parking lot, in a desolate stretch overlooking traffic and trains in the steep and rocky MassPike embankment.
My sister identified above photo as a native Eastern prickly pear cactus!
In the spirit of "Ecological Maximalism," I came back to forage a few pads. Maybe it was a candidate for the tree square!
My plant research found that the Eastern prickly pear cactus is "endangered in the wild" in Massachusetts, per the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife!
Is this bleak urban transit rockscape "the wild?" I emailed an inquiry and photos but never heard back!
Research for my signage
Planted up two abandoned, hot, and sunny barrels--with signs--near my house; after the pads rooted, I replanted.
November: Still flourishing as we head into winter!
April-May 2025: Existing cacti pads are all sprouting beautiful glowing-green buds; I transplanted more pads from Mass Pike.
