As anyone who’s gotten too close to a jumping cholla cactus can attest, the experience is singularly painful — and difficult to resolve, as the cactus’ spines are particularly stubborn to remove.

News flash: If you’re new to succulents, beware the prickly pear. It is the one cactus that strikes fear into every desert gardener, and now the drought has made these cactuses available far and wide.

I stopped to take a photo of colorful bentonite clay soils along Little Wild Horse Road south of Goblin Valley and on the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell in Utah. A large prickly pear cactus at ...

The spines of the jumping cholla cactus slide in with ease, but they’re grueling to extract. You can thank their barbs. ByKatherine J. Wu Tuesday, November 20, 2018 NOVA NextNOVA Next This unfortunate ...

Prickly desert cactus sounds like the last thing you’d want to eat. But -- surprise! -- once the spines are off, cactus is juicy and tender, great in anything from salads and soups to main courses and ...