Barrel cactus on the desert, Tucson, AZ, 1932

About this postcard

A large ribbed barrel cactus stands in the left foreground of a desert scene, surrounded by low scrub, yellow-flowering bushes, and a small red bloom, with hazy blue mountains under a pale sky. The card's caption notes that the cactus holds abundant moisture in the most arid parts of the desert and has "many times been a life saver" in extreme need. It also calls the plant commercially valuable as the foundation for "Cactus Candy." Barrel cacti are native to the Southwest and northern Mexico, and their ribbed stems expand to store water. Desert views like this were common souvenirs for tourists traveling by rail and automobile in the early twentieth century.