am i the only cacti-phobe on here? i love succulants and other leafy plants. i prefer the unusual and uncommon plants. i even do actually like cacti, but onky from afar. i admire them and would love to grow them, but my problem is they scare the crud out of me. from a young age ive admired them but they seem to be out to get me. if theres a stray thorn crown thats fallen off the plant and is somewhere i am the one to step on it or to get stuck with a needle if i venture near to one. they seem to bristle up even more when i get near. i swear it. its like an evil cat.

but. i like the weird and unusual shapes cacti can grow, and the beautiful little flowers they form. but i cant have them in the house due to my phobia.

im just weird

Oh...I grow my cacti outdoors, so I do not get pricked by their thorns..but they are really nice, just happy to grow and quite low maintenance, so I forget they are there at times I usually keep them way out of my way, so I do not have to bump into them. I actually feel sad when it aborts a bloom or starts to soften at the base, means it is not liking its condition.

Maybe this nice photo of my Gymnocalycium monvillei in bloom last summer will help change your mind about them

My spouse has strongly suggested that I don't get any more cactus, due to a nasty potting accident a few years back with a cholla. I can't say I blame him after what happened. I have a couple cactus that don't need his assistance to repot and that's it.

Sometimes it is just a learning curve on how to handle cacti..the hard way or the fun way.

I am a cactiphobe. As a child my mom grew indoor cactus plants and she had one on the back of the toilet. I jumped, naked, out of the tub and apparently landed on the toilet too hard causing the cactus to fall on my bare back. Ouch. Now I'm scared spineless of them!

i dont usually fall for sucker jokes, but as a teen i was round a friends house and she was talking about this cactus she had in the kitchen she had given it a name, and she told me to be careful going near him as he gets stroppy if he senses you dont like him and will bristle up like an angry cat.
well needles to say i was unsure whether she was teasing me or not. i never have trusted cacti and deep down a part of me does think they are vindictive and will go for me.

If you don't like the needles, look up Echinocereus inermis (Naturita, CO) (can be found at http://coldhardycactus.com/Pag...). It is spineless and hardy to zone 5!!!!

oh love the strange shape it grows into. ive saved that search into ebay.
ive also just discovered lophophora cacti. alot of those seem to be spineless too.
i just wish i could get one

ive just done something crazy.

ive bought myself a cactus. and its making me nervous lol.

i think my greatest cactus fears are the ones with the fuzzy minute barbs and spines hidden amongst fuzzy bits and you dont realise you got a spike untill you pick something up and you get a sharp pain in a fingertip.

i feel slightly less nervous with the course long spines. i refuse to even go near the evil fuzzies, but with the long thick spineys i am brave enought to carefully pick up the plant pot.

so i am know owned by spike.

Just remember..look but no touch...unless you intend to repot

im actually intending to use it as the base cactus to graft. im searching for a spineless weird looking cactus now for the top.

Fun! Like doing a treasure hunt ..cacti-version

ive found some on ebay but am currewntly undecided, im just biding my time.

the one cactus i really loved and wanted is a rare varigated one and all the collecters have bid it out of my price limit.