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The cardon (Pachycereus pringlei, Cactaceae) is one of the dominant plants on most of the arid peninsula of Baja California. A significant percent of the floral buds and female flowers fall from the branches, supposedly a consequence of tissue cavitation from insect larvae infestation. The yield of aborted floral buds from a single cactus may amount to one to two kilograms. These flowers are sought by cattle, which gain weight when the flowers are consumed in large amounts. This paper documents the importance of these aborted floral buds as forage and it presents a comparison of nutrient content with other desert plants used as forage. The carbohydrate content of aborted buds is higher than in leguminous-tree foliage. Although the forage value of the aborted floral buds for cattle is high, we do not recommend intensive use of this resource because of the potential impact on the persistence of cardon in its native environments.