Cactus in the Desert - Prickly Pear & Cholla Alongside Houghton Road, Tucson AZ - March 2018 http://michael-massa-micon.tumblr.com One of the rangers said that the desert around Tucson is one of the greenest deserts on earth. It is also one of the most prickly. The green comes from cacti of all types and descriptions. This area is primarily Prickly Pear and Goldenโ Teddy Bearโ Cholla. The second image shows a Cholla laden with fruit. The seeds, however, are rarely fertile. Cholla propagates primarily by breaking off small branches and relying on them taking root. I made the mistake of picking one of the fruits. It did not appear to have spines, but I ended up with several really fine spines stuck in my hand. I gave it to Kathy and she ended up with spines also. MWM
