# The desert is beautiful, but... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484 "2016-11-19T22:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/1 "2016-11-19T22:39:11Z")
All the damn plant have thorns! I was fixing a leak in my irrigation system, and a scratched the crap out of my forehead on the stalk of a palm [frond](http://olabrisagardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/3-IMG_1354.jpg). Those thorns are so sharp, they are like a knife, so I think it will heal fast (it didn’t rip the skin, more of a slice). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/2 "2016-11-20T00:53:11Z")
And then there are the infamous Grease-wood thorns, despite being not much bigger than a tooth pick, will puncture a two-ply radial tire. I’ve learned the hard way to never buy anything but BF Goodrich TA’s. ---
**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:** [November 20, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/3 "2016-11-20T02:27:46Z")
All I can say is watch out for glochids. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/4 "2016-11-20T02:46:09Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > All I can say is watch out for glochids. I had giant prickly pears at my old house. They must have been 10’ tall. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/5 "2016-11-20T02:56:01Z")
[Goat](https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1686285) [heads](https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/12961746_f520.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/6 "2016-11-20T03:07:55Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > All I can say is watch out for glochids. Here you go, the stuff of nightmares. [![](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/2w9f4e59z7kc3i0/glochids.jpg?dl=0) ](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/2w9f4e59z7kc3i0/glochids.jpg?dl=0) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/7 "2016-11-20T03:09:13Z")
Stay away from cholla cactus (pronounced choy-ya). Those things will jump out at you; I had one attack me in the kneecap when I was in Arizona, and the resulting hole took over a year to heal. :eek: > **[Cholla Cactus - DesertUSA](https://www.desertusa.com/cactus/cholla-cactus.html)** > > Description, photo, range, habitat and scientific names of the various species of Chollas, all cactus of the genus Opuntia. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/8 "2016-11-20T04:06:37Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Stay away from cholla cactus (pronounced choy-ya). Those things will jump out at you; I had one attack me in the kneecap when I was in Arizona, and the resulting hole took over a year to heal. :eek: > > [Cholla Cactus - DesertUSA](http://www.desertusa.com/cactus/cholla-cactus.html) Well… They don’t actually jump. But, their spines are [barbed](http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/arizona/285759d1186603011-dont-ride-off-trail-slide3.jpg), and extremely sharp, and even the slightest brush will embed them in your skin, breaking off the entire pad and leaving it attached to you. When I went out to take my “supermoon” shots early Monday I made sure to wear my boots and thick jeans, and watched where I walked - the Cholla were all over that hill: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/5454/30894929091_0719df91e4_b.jpg "StarStaX\_\_0001704\_00011-\_0002001\_00308\_gap\_filling") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11822576@N08/30894929091/in/dateposted-public/) (You can see them beneath the three Saguaros) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/9 "2016-11-21T01:49:56Z")
As a former desert rat (recently retired to the Pacific NW), I add my vote for the “Jumping Cholla.” It is unbelievably easy to get one embedded in your person, and horribly difficult to extract the spines, especially in the field, without tearing the hell out of your hide. Once it’s happened to you, you will make very damn sure not to let it happen again. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/10 "2016-11-21T04:25:16Z")
I used to have a large cactus collection, but no opuntias, no never. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/11 "2016-11-21T17:18:05Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I add my vote for the “Jumping Cholla.” It is unbelievably easy to get one embedded in your person, and horribly difficult to extract the spines, especially in the field, without tearing the hell out of your hide. Once it’s happened to you, you will make very damn sure not to let it happen again. Ever. I witnessed two incidents at the “Cholla Garden” in Joshua Tree NP where people let their dogs out of the car to run free. Before I could speak up and tell them what a bad idea it was…well, you can imagine what happened. Not a good experience for dog or owner. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/12 "2016-11-23T01:37:40Z")
Having a really, really, [REALLY bad day.](http://www.golflessonadvantage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cactus-man-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/13 "2016-11-23T04:03:20Z")
I’d like to see the story behind that photo. I’d be very surprised if that poor guy didn’t need a day or two in a hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/14 "2016-11-23T04:13:12Z")
Sorry. I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to find a good link. [Golfer falls back into cactus during swing.](http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/2012/03/02/golfer-falls-back-into-jumping-chollah-cactus-pain-likely-ensues-photo/) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/15 "2016-11-23T14:50:30Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Having a really, really, [REALLY bad day.](http://www.golflessonadvantage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cactus-man-2.jpg) I don’t think those nitrile gloves the EMTs are wearing are going to be much good. One trick you pick up here is to keep a bottle of white glue handy. When something has gotten those tiny little barbs that are highly irritating but difficult to see much less remove, spread a layer of glue on the affected area, let it dry, then peel it off. Won’t work on cholla clumps, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/16 "2016-11-23T16:27:40Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > All the damn plant have thorns! Blame the goats. Here’s an innocent plant just trying to survive in a place where water is damned hard to come by, and then on top of that it has to fight off goddamn goats that’ll eat anything they can chew and swallow. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/17 "2016-11-23T16:53:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Goat](https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1686285) [heads](https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/12961746_f520.jpg). ↑↑↑ My most hated, don’t even need desert to have way too much of these… ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/18 "2016-11-23T20:29:47Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Sorry. I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to find a good link. > > [Golfer falls back into cactus during swing.](http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/2012/03/02/golfer-falls-back-into-jumping-chollah-cactus-pain-likely-ensues-photo/) I figured it would involve the quote “Dammit, I can see the ball right there! I paid $4.50 for the damn thing and only hit it once, I’m not leaving here without it! I just need to reach a bit more…” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/19 "2016-11-24T17:40:40Z")
I was talking to a friend of mine, and he told me about the time he was at the Desert Botanical Garden, and there was a young boy who leaned in close to take a look at something and ended up with a Cholla pad stuck to his lip. Ouch. The kid went to reach for it, and my friend yelled at him to STOP! and then went over and used his Leatherman to carefully cut the spines away, and told him to find his parents and get to the nurse’s station… ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484/20 "2016-11-24T18:19:10Z")
How the heck did the local native americans cope with these death traps? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-desert-is-beautiful-but/772484.md?page=2)