Noticed a new type of cactus popping up in the Sandia Foothills

I was hiking the Piedra Lisa trail last weekend and saw a bunch of these small, round cacti I hadn't seen before near the trailhead. A guy walking his dog said they're called hedgehog cactus and they're spreading more with the dry weather. Anyone know if these are safe to have near a yard with pets?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyk872mo ago

Oh wow, I always thought those were just barrel cactus babies.

emery96524d ago

My cousin once tried to transplant one of those little solo ones thinking it was a baby barrel cactus. He ended up with a yard full of fishhook cactus spines stuck in his glove for a week. Said he counted like 47 tiny hooks just from one plant. That was the year he stopped gardening without those thick leather welder's gloves.

theas942mo ago

Totally get why you'd think that, finleyk87, they really do look like mini versions. I was reading this article about desert plants last week that said those little round ones are usually a totally different type, like fishhook cactus or something. The piece explained that barrel cactus pups actually grow in clusters right at the base, not off to the side alone. It's one of those things you see and just make a guess about until someone points it out.