Wax Rose

A cactus with leaves and flowers that make it hard to believe that the plant is actually a type of cactus. These pictures have more depth than those posted previously because they were taken with my Canon 400D. DSLR rocks!

Wax Rose

Only one precious flower on this thorny shrub. A gift from a friend some years back, this plant survived my indifference and celebrates once in a while in this way. I am thankful for this single bloom even though sometimes I envy other people's plants that flower so effortlessly it seems to me. Somewhere I recall a line from some poem that goes something like "Lucy in the sky with diamonds, beautiful when only one is shining in the sky." Did I imagine this line or is there a poem somewhere like that, I wonder.

Pereskia Bleo - Wax rose

Common name:Wax Rose, Rose Cactus

Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Central America

Photographed in the vicinity of Hillview housing estate, near the Rail Mall.

Wax Rose

Pereskia Bleo (Wax Rose)

Origin: Central America

This is a spiny shrub and is the only cactus that has leaves. I was told by friends that the leaves could be eaten fresh as it is believed to possess medicinal values like keeping cancer at bay. I was given a cutting not long ago and although it has taken root in the soil and is growing, the growth is rather slow. I cannot wait for it to grow into a luxuriant shrub with plenty of flowers to light up my garden.