Just a slight brush against the plant and you're an instant victim. And don't be alarmed if you unknowingly walk away with one of Cholla's joints clinging to some part of your extremity. Although the joints appear to be comfortably bound to the plant, they aren't. Rather, they loosely hang from the trunk. Just a slight touch you can unknowingly acquire an extra appendage . . .
Prickly pear grow quickly and in abundance but are short lived, surviving twenty years.
In the spring, they too burst with large, colorful blossoms that appear in pink, red, yellow and purple. Oodles of the prickly pears grow wild in my backyard. Puzzled, I spent the remaining afternoon researching the prickly pear, which this native Michigander soon learned was a Native American staple for centuries. The fruit can be made into tuna jelly. Although they can be eaten raw, they taste better if boiled for a few minutes and combined with other dishes such as soup, salads and scrambled eggs.