This morning, I went in to the little wash in the back yard and broke off a couple of opuntia leaves to add to the cactus and rock garden where we planted come of the imported cacti yesterday. There are several native cacti on the back side of the yard. One cactus was from a spiny green cactus similar to prickly pear, but with longer needles. The other had purple flesh and a couple of flower pods. The latter looked like “Kermit the Frog” when I finally got it into the ground. We transported some boulders and other colorful rocks to give accents to the garden beside the RV drive on the west side of the house. Click on the image to enlarge.
‘Kermit the Frog” is a Beavertail Cactus (Opuntia basilaris), and the other looks like the standard Englemann Prickly Pear (Opuntia englemanni) The Beavertail has some spectacular flowers, once it’s established and growing. (Just watch out for all those glochids, the tiny spines that come off in your skin. 🙂
Yep, picked one outta Cap’n about an hour ago. They look harmless but aren’t.
Ayup! 😀
I grew some of the same type cactus when I lived in Texas…had a real nice rock garden with various desert plants…and yes, I’ve got that stuff into my fingers on more than one occasion, just never knew that it went by the name of ‘glochids’…fortunately I got the stuff out before it caused any of the dermatitis problems associated with it.
Norm
If I remember right, I believe I used a surgeon’s scrub brush and lots of soap to debride the skin…it may not have been the recommended way, but it worked for me.
There is alot of ways to get those boogers out, one was to use rubber cement let it dry rub it off. Scotchtape. White glue.I think you’d use anything to get them out Ha.