A staple throughout the Southwest, this desert fruit adds flavor and color to cocktails, salads, salsas, desserts, and more.

The film’s very apt title, Cactus Pears, refers to the bright red, pulpy fruit that grows atop a prickly cactus in the most arid and inhospitable environments. It might be rare to come about ...

An curved arrow pointing right. Cochineals are tiny bugs that live on prickly pear cactuses. The acid in their guts makes a red dye used in textiles, cosmetics, and foods like M&Ms and Yoplait yogurt.

We talk a lot about crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat, but could we one day add cactus pear to the list? With its high heat tolerance and low water use (80% less than some traditional crops ...