# Prickly Pear Cactus and my diseased arm. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774 "2010-02-12T20:37:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/21 "2010-02-15T00:20:14Z")
Yeah, when I threw in euphorbia, I was being smart-ass and ignoring the immense variability of the members of the family. (Genus? Whatever.) My bad. Sorry, I don’t know offhand of any that do well in low light – mine are all in south-facing windows that get a lot of light. In general, succulents (including both cacti and euphorbia) tend to be drought-tolerant, sunloving plants. The non-succulent euphoribia are a different kettle of fish. It might be worth starting a new thread asking specifically – I’m guessing that those who would have better advice for you might not be reading this thread. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/22 "2010-02-15T00:26:49Z")
Euphorbia generally need more light. Try looking at the genus Sansiveria. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/23 "2010-02-15T08:40:13Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Sorry, I don’t know offhand of any that do well in low light – mine are all in south-facing windows that get a lot of light. In general, succulents (including both cacti and euphorbia) tend to be drought-tolerant, sunloving plants. The non-succulent euphoribia are a different kettle of fish. > > It might be worth starting a new thread asking specifically – I’m guessing that those who would have better advice for you might not be reading this thread. [QUOTE=lissener] Euphorbia generally need more light. Try looking at the genus Sansiveria. [/QUOTE] Thank you. I think might just look into Sansiveria. I’m not a huge fan of snake plants but hopefully I’ll find something that will work. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/24 "2010-02-16T03:25:54Z")
> [@valleyofthedolls](#): > > I’ll consider your advice, however, should some Jumping Chollas (awesome looking cacti, btw) ever decide to mug me. I’ll give you this advice in advance: When you are dealing with cholla, don’t even try to grab it and pull it off. You will ignore this advice exactly one time, then you will remember to get a comb to pull the cholla out of your hide. Remember, cholla has barbs so expect it to put up a bit of a fight. I just did a 24 hour mountain bike race just north of Tucson, though huge fields of prickly pear and cholla. Nothing like riding inches away from a six foot tall cholla at 3 in the morning to remind you to pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/25 "2010-02-16T16:41:06Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I’ll give you this advice in advance: When you are dealing with cholla, don’t even try to grab it and pull it off. You will ignore this advice exactly one time, then you will remember to get a comb to pull the cholla out of your hide. Remember, cholla has barbs so expect it to put up a bit of a fight. > > I just did a 24 hour mountain bike race just north of Tucson, though huge fields of prickly pear and cholla. Nothing like riding inches away from a six foot tall cholla at 3 in the morning to remind you to pay attention. How forgiving is cholla to non desert conditions? COuld it grow in connecticut or is the wet snowy winter totally inimicable to chollaesque lifeforms? ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/26 "2010-02-16T17:23:22Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > [http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Thornless\_Prickly\_Pear.htm](http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Thornless_Prickly_Pear.htm) Thanks for the link **Lissener**. I want to roll in them before I’m convinced. 🙂 Sorry to be “prickly” but the plural of _genus_ is _genera_. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/27 "2010-02-16T17:37:32Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > How forgiving is cholla to non desert conditions? COuld it grow in connecticut or is the wet snowy winter totally inimicable to chollaesque lifeforms? While I have usually seen the teddy bear and jumping cholla in the Sonoran Desert, there is another variety that does well at cold and high elevations. I’ve seen it near Santa Fe. I’ll see if I can find photos of this type. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/28 "2010-02-16T18:23:05Z")
> [@valleyofthedolls](#): > > Are there any euphorbia you might recommend for low light conditions? I haven’t had a problem with pointsettias and my prickly pear is doing surprisingly well but I have killed several plants because of lighting issues. For many years I’ve been growing indoors _Euphorbia leuconeura_ from Madagascar. Very easy to grow and propagate. Height about 10 ". It has the peculiarity to propulse its seeds (up to 2 feet I think). This year I put them in full sun and they are just “stagnating”, blooming but not producing leaves. Photos here: > **[PlantFiles Pictures: Euphorbia Species, Madagascar Jewel (Euphorbia...](https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/59200)** > > Check out the largest plant identification database in the world. Read plant and insect reference guides at Daves Garden. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/29 "2010-02-16T21:03:37Z")
Awesome thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/30 "2010-02-17T18:17:14Z")
Too late now, as the OP has already solved the problem, but another alternative to duct tape / wood glue is a home waxing kit. One of those “true ER stories” on Discovery Health had the ER docs using exactly this to de-cactusize a child. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/31 "2010-02-17T18:28:46Z")
Slight hijack for dog owners: NEVER let a non-cactus savvy dog run free in the vicinity of chollas. I have witnessed two separate incidents at Joshua Tree National Park’s “Cholla Garden” nature trail where tourists let their unleashed pet out, with tragic results. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774/32 "2010-02-17T21:13:54Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > How forgiving is cholla to non desert conditions? COuld it grow in connecticut or is the wet snowy winter totally inimicable to chollaesque lifeforms? I have grown cholla in Orem, Utah. It does get cold here, but not very wet (total annual precipitaion similar to the Sonoran Desert). Pretty much a plant it and ignore it operation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-pear-cactus-and-my-diseased-arm/528774.md?page=1)