Opuntia microdasys is known by its benign-sounding common name of “bunny ears”. That and its fuzzy-looking, pettable appearance often lures the unsuspecting to cuddle up to it or attempt to pet a pad. Those that do regret the encounter as long as the itchy glochids persist. With that in mind, the cultivar name of this selection may sound like a cruel joke. However, this is one cactus that one may caress with impunity. High magnification images of areoles reveal that the glochids are malformed, flattened structures without barbs, making them entirely touchable. The occasional barbed glochid is rendered harmless by virtue of a blunt, truncated tip. The cultivar seems to have appeared in Europe and has only recently been introduced to the US. Newer growth is a brilliant spring-green while older pads are more of a sage-green color and show some tendency to corking on the epidermis. We have not yet tested it in the garden, but Jorge Quiñónez of Salinas, CA, has found that it thrives in the ground there (as low as 31°F) and produces plenty of pads that he has kindly donated for this offering. HBG 134742, $15.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 94 (2), Summer 2022