Here’s something that might surprise you: every single cactus species on Earth originally hails from the Americas. That’s right—these spiny characters are as American as they come, stretching their range from Canada down through South America. You won’t find a naturally occurring cactus anywhere else on the planet, though humans have certainly spread them around in recent centuries.
This geographical quirk tells us something important about how evolution works. Cacti developed their unique characteristics in response to the specific conditions found in American deserts and dry regions. They had somewhere between 30 to 40 million years to perfect their craft in this particular neighborhood, adapting to everything from the Sonoran Desert’s brutal summers to the high-altitude cold of the Andes.
The one exception that proves the rule is a single species called *Rhipsalis baccifera*, which somehow made its way to Africa and Sri Lanka long ago. Scientists still argue about whether birds carried its seeds across the ocean or if it hitched a ride with human travelers centuries back. Either way, that wandering soul remains the odd one out in an otherwise exclusively New World family.
- https://horizondwellers.com/20-fun-facts-about-cacti-thatll-prick-your-curiosity-wide-open/
