Sunday, June 24, 2012

OUCH!!

This could never happen with a Lithops....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18553950

Seriously, though, poor Mr. Mason is in for a long recovery and my prayers are with him. Those saguaros can weigh a ton. They look great in photos, but they do have a tendency to topple.

And cacti can be dangerous. I still remember a very bad encounter with an Opuntia in Arizona when I was 7. Apparently the fruits need to be parboiled and cleaned of glochids before being eaten....

4 comments:

  1. Wow... What a nightmare.

    That mother of millions plant also bears a remarkable similarity to Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors! Normally harmless plants become real monsters when they get into foreign environments. Good ol Opuntia sp. is an invader here in South Africa as is the "Queen of the Night" cactus, Cereus jamacaru.

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  2. Yes, some species are entirely too successful in their new environments. And I do fear Opuntias...you have my sympathy!

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  3. See what I mean about the dangers of cacti, and why I haven't got myself a cactus plant yet? Obviously there's a difference between a Saguaro cactus and say a Mammillaria, but both can serve some serious danger! After saying this though, I've just purchased some Euphorbia seeds (which have got some freaky spines too!). Lol. Poor Mr. Mason, I hope he makes a full recovery! 150 cactus spines?! Crikey!!!

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  4. Oooo, Euphorbias, I fear them, their sap is toxic...seriously though, there are some gorgeous species in that genus, be sure to blog on your progress! And yeah, 150 spines, GACK!

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