White Sage Fire

Part of their life cycle is spent underground when the cacti retract their stems into their roots to aid survival during extended dry spells.

After the White Sage Fire burned north of the Grand Canyon in the summer of 2025, ecologists from the Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes at Northern Arizona University were quick to visit high-severity burns where the rare cacti grow.

They wanted to see whether any of the plants they'd been monitoring had survived.

Among dead trees and completely blackened ground cover, they were amazed to see patches of what looked like little green buttons.