Desert vegetation - Cactus

A tough desert carries no vegetation. However, science often defines an area a desert when a certain amount of annual precipitation is not exceeded. Thus, there are places that are referred to as deserts which are covered by vegetation. Of course, this is a special desert vegetation. 

Cactus in Sonora desert, Arizona.

Organ Pipe Cactus in Sonora desert, southern Arizona.

Towering Cardonis cactus dwarfing my wife in Baja California, Mexiko.

Joshua trees at sunset, Mojave desert, California.

Never, never do what I was doing here: walking with sandals through this kind of cactus forest. There have been a lot of warning signs around saying "hazardous cactus". This is the Cholla cactus in Mojave desert, California, with its thorns being simply everywhere. After this walk my wife and I had to collect thorns out of shoes, feet, legs ...Thus, stay away from these plants!