Xeriscape Landscape Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment
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Bunny Ears Cactus, Opuntia microdasys

Bunny Ears Cactus, Opuntia microdasys Flowering Photos Taken At Mayo Clinic Scottsdale Arizona. Nature Trail. May 5, 2008.

Bunny Ears Cactus, Opuntia microdasys	Bunny Ears Cactus, Opuntia microdasys

Bunny Ears Cactus Opuntia microdasys, Cactus Family ( Cactaceae ), Bunny Ears Cactus. Also Called: Polka Dot Cactus, Angel's Wings, Cegador, Opuntia microdasys var. microdasys, Cactus microdasys, Opuntia macrocalyx. A very attractive Opuntia with tiny, silver - whitish colored, soft, fuzzy looking glochids. It has no spines. But, the attractive glochids are deceptively nasty. They stick to your skin with the slightest touch or movement of air and then they are very difficult to remove. If moving the plants, wet them down before working near them. That way you reduce the blowing away of the glochids. The best method we have found to remove the spines is to coat the area affected with Elmer's Glue and let it dry. Then you can peel the glue off. Almost all the spines will pull out with the glue. Sometime we chew gum when working with this cactus. Then you can roll the gum over the affected area and remove many of the spines. These plants are great for Xeriscape Gardens, especially in an area that you want to protect from trespassing. This species is also very prone to rot if watered to much via sprinklers. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry soil and can tolerate drought. The closely related Opuntia rufida differs by having reddish-brown glochids; it is found native further north than Opuntia microdasys, in northern Mexico, and also into western Texas. Some botanists treat the two as a single species. Height: Height from 1 1/2 foot to about 2 feet. Spreading to about 6 feet. Flowers: The lemon yellow flowers are 1 - 2 inches in diameter. Blooming Time: July to August. Segments: Green cactus pads 2-1/2 to 5-1/2 inches and 2-1/2 to 5-1/2 inches, about 1/2 inches thick. They are glabrous or slightly pubescent and have glochids (little barbed bristles organized in clusters) that are soft looking and silver - white. Fruit: Green spineless edible fruit, 1-1/4 inches in diameter dry when ripe. Elevation: 0 - 6500 feet. Habitat: Gravel or sandy flats, mesas, hillsides. A landscape plant in some places. Native to central and northern (Hidalgo), Mexico. Miscellaneous: Flowering Photos Taken At Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Arizona. Nature Trail. May 5, 2008.