My Beautiful Opuntia

This is Opuntia aciculata. Our Arizona home has a large stand of it that we planted in a dry wash in 1974. It gets no additional water and yet it blooms beautifully every January and February. It's sometimes called the Chenille Prickly Pear or Old Man's Whiskers. This is one cacti that you want to handle very carefully! The glochids are wicked.

Nice bright orange flowers against the green color.

Great banner Karen

What an interesting banner, especially the write-up.

That's a lovely banner Karen! All the blooms and buds make a wonderful photo.

Great banner, Karen!

That is a very warm and inviting banner Karen! It is a nice "welcome" to NGA for those of us in the frozen north this morning. The full photo makes it even more enjoyable.

Beautiful indeed!

I'm glad this banner helped some of you feel warmer today! Thank you for all of the acorns, Thumbs up, and comments. They are always appreciated, and make me want to submit more possible banner pics.

I agree, great banner and really appreciate all the extra info about it!!

Magnificent plant & banner, Karen!

Glochids or glochidia (singular "glochidium") are hair-like spines or short prickles, generally barbed, found on the areoles of cacti in the sub-family Opuntioideae. Cactus glochids easily detach from the plant and lodge in the skin, causing irritation upon contact.

I didn't know that.
Learn something everyday.

@plantmanager Karen,

Beautiful full size pic of the banner, but this beautiful pic of yours really shows off the bright orange color.



With the winters we have here in the north, this pop of bright orange would be wonderful to see.

Yes, it does! Thank you for the acorns, too.

You're very welcomed Karen.