A prickly pear on the sea near Recco

Un fico d'India sul mare nei pressi di Recco

A prickly pear on the sea near Recco.
The prickly pear, scientifically known as Opuntia ficus-indica, is a succulent plant native to the Americas, but which has found a second home in the Mediterranean basin and in many other regions of the world. This exotic fruit, with its characteristic spiny paddles and its colorful fruits, has become a symbol of resilience and adaptability. But beyond its fascinating aesthetics, the prickly pear offers numerous nutritional benefits and plays an important role in the culinary and medicinal cultures of the areas where it is grown.
The prickly pear has ancient origins, dating back thousands of years to the desert regions of Mexico and the Southwest of the United States. The Aztecs and other pre-Columbian civilizations exploited its fruits and paddles (cladodes) for various food and medicinal purposes. With the arrival of European explorers in the 15th century, the plant was introduced to Europe and from there it quickly spread to the Mediterranean regions, Africa, Asia and even Australia.
The prickly pear is a perennial plant that can reach considerable heights, up to 4-5 meters. It is made up of flat, oval segments called cladodes, commonly known as “paddles”. These cladodes are covered with small spines, called glochids, which can easily penetrate the skin and are difficult to remove. The flowers, which bloom in spring and summer, are large and showy, usually yellow, orange or red, and give rise to the edible fruit.
The fruits of the prickly pear, called prickly pears, are fleshy and sweet berries with a thick, spiny skin. The color of the fruit varies from yellow to deep red, passing through various shades of orange and green. Inside, the pulp is juicy and contains numerous small, hard seeds. The fruits are usually harvested in late summer and early fall and are eaten fresh, used to make juices, jams, liqueurs and even sweets.
The prickly pear is a nutrient-dense fruit. It is a good source of vitamin C, fiber, magnesium and antioxidants. The young leaves, called “nopales” in Mexico, are also edible and contain vitamins, minerals and fiber, in addition to being used in various traditional dishes. Recent studies have shown that the prickly pear can have beneficial effects on digestive health, blood glucose regulation and weight control, due to its high fiber content and low caloric density.
In Mediterranean and Latin American cuisine, the prickly pear plays a prominent role. The fruits are eaten fresh, but also made into jams, jellies and juices. In Mexico, nopales are a common ingredient in salads, stews and tacos. In addition to its culinary uses, the plant is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, from inflammation to digestive issues.
In more recent times, prickly pears have been the subject of scientific interest for their potential medicinal and cosmetic properties. Extracts of the plant are used in skin care products for their moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.
The hardy and adaptable prickly pear is an example of how plants can thrive in harsh conditions while still offering a myriad of benefits. From a staple of traditional diets to the subject of modern scientific research, the plant continues to surprise and delight. Whether for its unique taste, nutritional value, or medicinal uses, prickly pears deserve a place of honor among the world’s botanical treasures.

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Un fico d'India sul mare nei pressi di Recco

Photo taken with Canon EOS RP and lens Tamron 16-300.

The prickly pear or prickly pear is a plant native to Mexico. From here, in ancient times, it spread among the populations of Central America who cultivated and traded it already at the time of the Aztecs, among whom it was considered a sacred plant with strong symbolic values.
Continue on Wikipedia

A prickly pear on the sea near Recco – Une figue de Barbarie sur la mer près de Recco – Una tuna en el mar cerca de Recco – Uma pera espinhosa no mar perto de Recco – Ein Feigenkaktus am Meer in der Nähe von Recco – Một quả lê gai trên biển gần Recco

The text of the post was written with the help of ChatGPT, a language model from OpenAI.

Prickly pear flowers on the sea of ​​Sestri Levante

I fiori del fico d'india sul mare di Sestri Levante

Prickly pear flowers on the sea of ​​Sestri Levante.
Some time ago you took lots of photos of flowers and today I wanted to bring some color back to the blog.
Many prickly pear plants grow along the wall beyond the Cappuccini in the Baia del Silenzio of my Sestri Levante and, when I bring my telephoto lens and they are in season, I always like to take a nice photo of these bright pink flowers.

Have you ever seen this plant and its flowers? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

I fiori del fico d'india sul mare di Sestri Levante

I fiori del fico d'india sul mare di Sestri Levante

Photo taken with Canon EOS M100 and lens Tamron 16-300.

The prickly pear or prickly pear is a plant native to Mexico. From here, in ancient times, it spread among the populations of Central America who cultivated and traded it already at the time of the Aztecs, among whom it was considered a sacred plant with strong symbolic values.
Continue on Wikipedia

The flowers of the prickly pear on the sea of Sestri Levante – Les fleurs de la figue de barbarie sur la mer de Sestri Levante – Las flores de la chumbera sobre el mar de Sestri Levante – As flores da pera espinhosa no mar de Sestri Levante – Die Blüten der Kaktusfeige am Meer von Sestri Levante – Hoa lê gai trên biển Sestri Levante – 塞斯特里莱万特海面上的仙人掌花 – セストリ・レバンテの海に咲くウチワの花

Camogli and a prickly pear

Camogli e un fico d'india

Camogli and a prickly pear.
The famous Basilica Minore di Santa Maria Assunta, present in almost all the photos of the town.
In this case you can only see a glimpse of it; in the foreground you can see a beautiful prickly pear with ripe fruit.
I thought it would be beautiful to capture both things in one shot.
Between the two subjects is also the circular terrace which is the point where almost all the photos are taken.

Do you know the village of Camogli?
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Camogli e un fico d'india

Photo taken with Canon EOS M100 and lens Tamron 16-300.

To see all the photos I took during the excursion along the path that goes from Camogli to San Fruttuoso click here:
foto gallery

Here I also leave you a video, which I made on another occasion in the small port of Camogli:

Videos recorded with Gopro Hero5.

This video is even later:

Videos recorded with Gopro Hero 10 Black.

Basilica Minore di Santa Maria Assunta in the capital. Overlooking the small port below, the parish church of the village stands on what was the ancient settlement of the Island, appearing almost decentralized with respect to the nucleus of tall polychrome buildings.
Continue and learn more on Wikipedia

Camogli the beautiful seaside village in Liguria and a prickly pear – Camogli le beau village balnéaire de Ligurie et un figuier de barbarie – Camogli el hermoso pueblo costero de Liguria y una tuna – Camogli a bela vila à beira-mar na Ligúria e uma pera espinhosa – Camogli, das schöne Küstendorf in Ligurien und eine Kaktusfeige – Camogli ngôi làng ven biển xinh đẹp ở Liguria và một quả lê gai – 利古里亚美丽的海滨村庄卡莫利和刺梨 – カモグリリグリアの美しい海辺の村ととげのある梨

The prickly pear flower

Il fiore del fico d'india

The prickly pear flower.
A splendid plant that grows along the steep walls to the east of the Bay of Silence.
The pink flowers with the sea in the background are an unparalleled sight.

Have you ever seen these plants and flowers?
Add your own comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Il fiore del fico d'india

Il fiore del fico d'india

Photo taken with Canon EOS M100 and lens Tamron 16-300.

The prickly pear or prickly pear is a plant native to Mexico. From here, in ancient times, it spread among the populations of Central America who cultivated and traded it already at the time of the Aztecs, among whom it was considered a sacred plant with strong symbolic values.
Continue on Wikipedia

The prickly pear flower – La fleur de figue de barbarie – la flor de la tuna – A flor de pera espinhosa – Die Kaktusfeigenblume – hoa lê gai – 刺梨花 – ウチワの花

A splendid prickly pear

Fico d'India

A splendid prickly pear.
One of the plants, not exactly typical, but very widespread in Liguria is the prickly pear.
At the moment it is blooming and it is also a beautiful little flower.

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Fico d'India

The prickly pear or prickly pear is a plant native to Mexico. From here, in ancient times, it spread among the populations of Central America who cultivated and traded it already at the time of the Aztecs, among whom it was considered a sacred plant with strong symbolic values.
Continue on Wikipedia

The prickly pear flower – La fleur de figue de barbarie – la flor de la tuna – A flor de pera espinhosa – Die Kaktusfeigenblume – hoa lê gai – 刺梨花 – ウチワの花