Old Spineless

I admired a particular cactus last fall at the TNLA Expo, and stopped to talk with the vendor. Not only was this a (mostly) spineless cactus, it was also variegated emerald and lime green. Pretty sensational. This variegated type is the decorator version of the hardworking Opuntia ficus-indica, which I grow. No spikes means it is easier to tend, prepare, and eat. The vendor thought Opuntia ficus-indica has been selected for spinelessness since prehistory. That really intrigues me and I wanted to know more.

My very brief research turned up this nice paper. I learned that sailing ships were stocked with Opuntia ficus-indica to prevent scurvy. The cactus was distributed around the planet via trade routes and people in distant places think the cactus is native to their own country. But DNA studies show it is closely related to several central Mexican prickly pear species. The authors present multiple possibilities for its origin, with more research needed. I am partial to the romantic idea that someone in ancient Mesoamerica found or hybridized a spineless sport and it has been propagated vegetatively ever since, right up to my potting up a pad from my neighbor.

My specimen, in the photo above, grew from the piece I picked up while out walking the dog. (On dog walks I have also found plumeria branches, macho aloes, and ceramic pots of all sizes set out for the trash, or opportunistic gardeners.) This is the mother plant:

See how she is ‘arborescent’.

In summer a tuna (fruit, not fish) grew on my Opuntia ficus-indica, and when it looked ready, I picked it. The Kid and I shared it. It was impressive for its brilliant violet juice but was not too flavorful. This “Indian fig” is what the species name refers to. I have not tried julienning and serving up the pads yet. I don’t crave the taste of cactus but it’s good to know it’s there to eat, come the revolution.

Prickly pear pads at my local supermarket, Fiesta. These have spines, hence the tongs you see here!

My cactus produced a spiny throw-back of a pad from the base the main trunk. I plucked it out. I’m curious what triggers going spineless to spiny. Luther Burbank developed cactus varieties for livestock feed, and wrote that many spiny cacti have spineless sports from time to time.

Every article I read about ‘spineless’ cacti mentions the glochids, and I’ll mention them too. When you move a large-ish Opuntia ficus-indica from one side of your garden to the other, and up some steps, you end up with short, almost invisible, glochids in your arms. Those are the hairs that cluster in the sparse nodes visible on the pad. They are annoying, but they seem to disintegrate in the skin after a few days where they are not completely removed by tweezers.

kalanchoe aglow

Pancake kalanchoe/Kalanchoe thrisyflora and terra cotta pots...the true colors are beyond the ability of my camera or camera skills to capture. Imagine.


Pancake again with a prickly pear friend.

Padding Around Cactus King

I’d forgotten all about Cactus King until my friend Mr. Nelson asked me if I’d ever been to the nursery with a giant cactus statue visable from Interstate 45. Cactus King used to be in my neighborhood and I’d come and look at stuff I was too poor to buy (Of course I had no interest in the $1.99 cacti). Now it’s way on the north side of town.

You may think that in Texas, cacti would not merit a special trip to view. But Houston is verdant and juicy, and as long as we’re not bumped up any more USDA zones, cacti and agaves are uncommon.

When Mr. Nelson’s and my schedule finally matched up for a field trip, it was an appropriately scorching, bright day. I suppose it was the desert plant-equivalent of seeing Japanese maples in autumn by the full moon. We were the only fools out on the lot. We went into a greenhouse. Myriad cacti. When we went out again, the air actually felt cool. But look at what we saw while we were there! It was worth a little roasting.

Photographing was a pain in the ass literally. More than once I backed up into something spiky.


This is me next to an absurd Euphorbia. I’m holding a mystery plant I wanted to ask Lyn the proprietor about. I got a light scolding for having taken it off the ‘do not touch rare and unusual’ table. Lyn is also the sculptor. See and hear him in action:

On top of all this, the prices are good. Can there possibly be another nursery quite like Cactus King anywhere? Show me if there is.