This hardy cactus is widespread in eastern North American and is especially common in scrub. Florida scrub is
an inhospitable habitat to walk through, and prickly-pear
is one of the reasons. The pads, armed with barbed
spines, seem capable of leaping a foot or more to imbed
themselves in human flesh. Prickly-pear will often attach
a pad surreptitiously to the back of a person's boot
heel, then when the person crouches down to see something
on the ground, the pad imbeds its spines into the soft
flesh of the person's bottom side. There's more than evil
to this behavior, though. As anyone who's propagated
cactus knows, the pads are capable of rooting where they
fall and we and other animals help spread prickly-pear
whenever we detach a bothersome pad and throw it on the
ground. Perhaps we can take some satisfaction in knowing
that the pads and the fruit of prickly-pear are edible,
and actually quite tasty.
This hardy cactus is widespread in eastern North American and is especially common in scrub. Florida scrub is
an inhospitable habitat to walk through, and prickly-pear
is one of the reasons. The pads, armed with barbed
spines, seem capable of leaping a foot or more to imbed
themselves in human flesh. Prickly-pear will often attach
a pad surreptitiously to the back of a person's boot
heel, then when the person crouches down to see something
on the ground, the pad imbeds its spines into the soft
flesh of the person's bottom side. There's more than evil
to this behavior, though. As anyone who's propagated
cactus knows, the pads are capable of rooting where they
fall and we and other animals help spread prickly-pear
whenever we detach a bothersome pad and throw it on the
ground. Perhaps we can take some satisfaction in knowing
that the pads and the fruit of prickly-pear are edible,
and actually quite tasty. 
