Pair of young Barrel cacti near Black Mountain, Henderson, Nevada

This young Barrel cactus growing in a pair is found near Black Mountain, Henderson, Nevada and and is also found in other desert areas near by such as Red Rock Canyon. They are desert dwellers and can cope with some frost and intense heat. The typical habitat is hot and very arid, and the plants have adapted to exploit water movement to concentrate their biomass in areas where water is likely to be present. The rocks surrounding the cactus are mainly basalt originating from volcanic activity in the area over 12 million years ago. The cactus belongs to the Ferocactus genus,