Beyoncé’s NFL Promo: Stunning, Iconic, And Botanically Incorrect

Beyoncé is a force of nature. A global icon, she’s conquered music, film, fashion, and more with grace and flair. But as we learned this week, even Queen Bey is not infallible. Her one Achilles’ heel? Botany—specifically, recognizing that the saguaro cactus doesn’t call Texas home.

As first pointed out by Dan Solomon’s piece in Texas Monthly, in a promotional clip for Netflix’s debut NFL Christmas Gameday Live, Beyoncé delivers her signature style and star power while setting the stage for the holiday football doubleheader. The highlight? A halftime show for the December 25th matchup between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens, where Beyoncé, a proud Houstonian herself, promises to dazzle fans with a sneak peek of her upcoming “Cowboy Carter” tour.

The promo is pure Beyoncé: cinematic, campy, and captivating.

In an instagram video, Beyoncé teases the performance by walking alongside a saguaro cactus. The cactus is an unmistakable symbol of the desert. It’s the kind of cactus you’d find on postcards, in cowboy movies, or doodled by a child. And while it’s undeniably iconic, it’s also geographically exclusive—it does not grow in Texas. Native to Arizona and parts of southeastern California, the saguaro is as absent from Texas landscapes as snowstorms are from Houston.

This small misstep hasn’t gone unnoticed. Texans, proud of their state’s unique biodiversity, might feel miffed seeing an Arizona-native cactus in a Houston promo. While Beyoncé’s team likely chose the saguaro for its Western appeal, the oversight has sparked playful side-eyes from Texans familiar with their flora.

Despite this botanical blunder, the promo—and the game—promise to deliver plenty of excitement.