If you see a rose cactus (Pereskia spp.) while it is dormant in the winter, you’ll have no trouble believing it’s in the cactus family. Leaves drop off in cold weather, revealing the bare green stem armed with the same kind of spines you’ll see in rose cactus’ succulent desert relatives. In summer, when bright green 8-inch-long leaves and pink, white, yellow or coral flowers cover the stems, it looks like a broad leaf shrub. The genus Pereskia is native to South and Central America and has about 24 species.