Cacti may conjure up images of vibrant blooms, but they’re not all meant for eye-catching beauty. Many cacti are inedible. No matter how much you try to convince yourself, they could be sweet treats.
These flowering plants often contain bitter-tasting, thick skin that cannot be eaten, spikes and thorns that can cause injury if ingested, and/or stolen foul-smelling latex sap filled with toxins. Plus, the majority of these succulents have nearly nonexistent water content, so even if you remove their unpleasant exterior, there won’t be any nourishment left for your stomach.
And it doesn’t stop there. Though some cacti feature fruits, some still lack nutritional value. Even edible fruit types require skillful preparation due to harmful substances within them, such as oxalates or alkaloids. A few can even leave you with an unpleasant aftertaste no matter how deseeded.
Therefore don’t be fooled by their appealing sizes and shapes—most cacti are simply meant for looking at rather than consuming!