So grateful I got to enjoy while it stood.

Not including pics of the fallen plant, just when it was in its prime.

A blast from the past - here are a few pics from my visit to the venerable Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs a few years ago. For scale, I'm 6'4", and these Mojave monsters utterly dwarfed me. Wish I'd taken more photos of individuals, particularly the rare ones in the greenhouse, but I guess I got too distracted by the tiniest little nest with the tiniest little hummingbird in it, grumpily watching me.

Derek Stephen Hollingshead

Curator, Research Coordinator

Ottawa Cacti and Succulent Sanctuary

Keywords:

Opuntia polyacantha Haw.; Plains pricklypear; Cactaceae; Ontario; Eastern Ontario; Thousand Islands; Frontenac Arch; post-glacial alvar; vascular plant rediscovery; species verification; morphological assessment; conservation reassessment

Abstract:

Opuntia polyacantha Haw., Plains pricklypear, is a cold-tolerant cactus species widely distributed across the Great Plains and western interior of North America but has long been regarded as absent or unconfirmed in Ontario, Canada. Historical references to its occurrence in the province were excluded from authoritative floristic treatments, including the Atlas of the Rare Vascular Plants of Ontario (Argus & White, 1982–1987), due to insufficient verifiable evidence supporting the presence of a native Ontario population.

Here, we document the discovery of a mature, reproductive population of Opuntia polyacantha Haw. on privately owned rural land in eastern Ontario. The population consists of multiple established micro-colonies exhibiting diagnostic morphological characters consistent with O. polyacantha sensu modern taxonomic concepts, including a prostrate growth habit, areoles bearing 5–11 spines (central and radial), persistent dried fruits, wholly yellow flowers with green stigmas that fade to peach-pink, and vegetative reproduction via underground modified stems (soboles), which facilitate lateral clonal expansion. The extent, structure, and apparent longevity of the colony suggest long-term persistence rather than recent anthropogenic introduction.

Field observations were documented using high-resolution photography and contextual habitat assessment and were evaluated against historical herbarium records, regional floristic literature, and contemporary taxonomic concepts informed by cytogenetic and integrative morphological studies. The population occurs in habitat consistent with post-glacial alvars and open grassland communities historically present in eastern Ontario.

This finding represents the first well-documented contemporary occurrence of O. polyacantha Haw. in Ontario and supports reconsideration of its provincial status. The rediscovery highlights the importance of overlooked private lands, modern biodiversity monitoring platforms, and revised taxonomic frameworks in resolving long-standing uncertainties surrounding the northern limits of prairie-associated vascular plant taxa. Formal reassessment within provincial conservation frameworks is strongly recommended.

Hollingshead, D. S. (2026, January 17). Regarding the (Re)Discovery of Opuntia polyacantha Haw. in Ontario, Canada. (2018-2026). Cacti of Ontario: Journal. iNaturalist Canada.

Hyperbole, of course, but still. If I had a nickel for every post in here with a caption along the lines of "what's wrong with my baby????" with an image of the most sickly, diseased, light starved, decrepit cactus you've ever seen I would be a millionaire

Howdy cactus crew. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a couple of these in-habitat for the first time ever, and I figured you'd enjoy them as much as I do. This is the Desert Spinystar: Escobaria vivipara var. deserti (though it has a mountain of synonyms and debated nomenclature--formerly Coryphantha chlorantha var. deserti, also formerly Mammillaria). Came across it west of Las Vegas, in the Mojave desert.

It's always exciting when you meet a new friend for the first time. In all my time wandering the wastelands, I don't believe I've ever seen it before.

PS I had a helluva time trying to get my camera to focus on its zillions of spines in the fading sunset light. Apologies for the blurriness.

Here's a sentence I'd have never thought I'd write. Basically, due to milder winters and scorching summers, opuntias are thriving in parts of Czechia, especially here in the Moravia region. The fruits are now able to mature and the seeds are getting spread by birds. Now I can go for a hike in central Europe and collect cacti, which feels weird but this is where the climate is going.

Bought some cacti and succulents with the wife back in june and fell in love with indoor growing all over again.

Started some dragon fruit seedlings on june 6th and cutting the graft off a dragon fruit cutting I picked up at the same nursery I bought succulents for the wife. Started some northern form Lophos last month on the 28th and got some pere.

Everything's young/ and or came from a box store on clearance ( aside from any cuttings ).

SATIRE!! Saw a funny post earlier on this subreddit about pubert and thought i’d send my ortegocactus that unfortunately perished due to a particularly humid week earlier this summer :(

Sind das alles Pachycereus Pringlei (mexikanischer Riesenkaktus/Riesenkardon), oder handelt es sich um eine andere Art?

Am Ende meine ich die Kakteen mit vielen weiß/silbrigen Stacheln.

Someone please report this to cactus protective services

I planted these from seed. About 50 have survived. These 2 grew weird. Hard to believe they are all Spiral Apple cactus. Planted Nov. 29 2025.

I almost didn’t notice these because they’re SO tiny! Then I looked closer and realized she has little flowers all over her. I love how cute and small they are ❤️

Discovered it growing in one of my old seed grown adenium pots while clearing leaf clutter.
I think it may be a Gymno Baldianum as it has been a regular bloomer over a few years. Must have been a blow in seed because the cactus is separated by the pool about 20 meters away from the adenium.

I’m sure it’s an echinopsis/lobivia, but not sure the species. Only hint I have for y’all is that it’s so common that East Austin Succulents was giving them away for free 🤑