Cactus flowers provide some of nature's biggest surprises. From drab greenish plants that bristle with vicious spines, blossoms burst out in an extraordinary array of colors, including sizzling salmon-pink, sulfur yellow, cerise, mauve, magenta, flaming orange stripes, and pure wax white. Some bloom at 115 degrees F; some bloom only after rain, some exclusively at night; and many are lavish with fragrance and pollen. All in all, cactus flowers are anything but shrinking violets. This vivid addition to the Look West Series includes basic succulent information and horticultural tips as well as a little cactus folklore and, of course, a dazzling desert garden of full-color photographs. 45 photos and illustrations.