The Bakersfield cactus, a rare plant that once grew all over Kern County, is in its blooming season at the Panorama Vista Preserve.
The preserve is located just below the Bakersfield’s bluffs and is a 930-acre non-profit conservation area dedicated to restoring native plants and protecting local wildlife for over 25 years.
Known for its flat, paddle-like pads and bright flowers, the rare cactus only grows in and around Bakersfield, making it a “native endemic” plant. Which means it’s found nowhere else in the world.
It used to thrive across the San Joaquin Valley before farming, oil development, and city expansion destroyed much of its natural habitat.
“We live in a desert, and these cactus plants were perfectly adapted to that,” explained Mic Hall, one of the Board of Directors at the Preserve. “But when settlers came and started farming, they plowed over the cactus, and now it’s rare.”
Each spring, for about five weeks, the cactus blooms with bright flowers. Which has drawn the attention of many visitors at the Preserve.
Researchers from Bakersfield College have found that the preserve has twice as many native bee species as other areas, thanks in part to the cactus and other native plants.
The Bakersfield cactus also plays an important role in the environment. It helps hold soil in place, survives with little water, and attracts native bees that pollinate plants. “It’s like a little engine for the ecosystem,” said biologist Dr. Antje Lauer.
To survive Bakersfield’s hot, dry summer, the cactus stores water in its thick pads, like little tanks, and uses it slowly over time, helping it live through long stretches without rain. During the winter, the cactus soaks up rainwater and stores it inside. Then, when summer comes and there’s no rain, it uses that saved water to stay alive. That’s how it can live in places where other plants dry out and die.
“People forget that Bakersfield is really a desert,” said Hall. “These plants were here long before us, and we’re just trying to help them grow again.”
Besides planting cactus, the team at the preserve also grows native trees and plants, including oaks and milkweed, to support wildlife like monarch butterflies.
“The population of monarch butterflies has collapsed in recent years,” said Hall. “We’re doing everything we can to create a healthy habitat, but it’s a race against time.”
Visitors can learn more by visiting panoramavista.org or following the Preserve on Facebook for updates and events.
“We’re lucky to have this plant in our backyard,” Hall added. “Protecting it means protecting part of Bakersfield’s natural heritage.”
