Arizona Pro Tip: Why You Should Never Hug a Cactus

This advice may seem obvious if you were born and raised in Arizona: never pet a cactus. Like me, you probably acquired this wisdom the old-fashioned way after you touched a cactus or its fruit and wound up with those tiny, ouchy stickers stuck in your fingers and hands.

It only takes once, and there's a good chance you won't do it again. You might even start to forget about the experience until someone visits from out of town. Then the fun starts all over again.

READ: Why You Should Be Careful Around Teddy Bear Cholla

Why Is “Petting A Cactus” A Terrible Life Choice?

In Arizona, we pride ourselves on being tough, but there are those occasions when we're a bit overconfident. Every once in a while, we forget that prickly pear fruit has those tiny, nearly invisible hairs hiding on the bright red tunas, and that's when the cactus reminds you.

Those innocent‑looking fuzzy patches are not soft at all! They’re called glochids. They're the tiny, barbed, hair‑like spines found on cactus in the Opuntia genus. Those tiny troublemakers lodge into your skin with the enthusiasm of a javelina at a backyard buffet. Get them out requires patience, tweezers, school glue, and maybe a support group.

Get our free mobile app

What Are Those Hairy Spikes Really Doing?

Glochids aren't trying to hurt you; they're a passive defense system that evolved to keep curious animals (and humans who should know better) away.

Unlike the melodramatic spines you see on saguaros, glochids break off easily and irritate skin for days. In a way, they're nature's glitter: aggressively effective, mildly vindictive, and nearly impossible to get rid of.

Which Arizona Cacti Should You Definitely Not Pet?

You can't imagine Arizona without the diverse number of cacti growing here. According to Succulent Garden Web, there are more than 60 different types of cactus that grow here. Some of the most famous are the giant saguaro, the jointed cholla, and the ever‑popular prickly pear. 

All of these succulents have glochids or spines ready to ruin your day. Add in the barrel cactus and the hedgehog cactus, and you’ve got a full lineup of plants that demand admiration, but from a respectful distance. According to the Arizona‑Sonora Desert Museum, both prickly pears and chollas are especially notorious for their glochids.

RELATED: Reasons Why The Saguaro Cactus Is Arizona's Unique Treasure

How to Enjoy the Beauty of Arizona's Cactus

Give Arizona's cactus a wide berth. Admire them. Photograph them. Write poetry about them. But pet them? Absolutely not. Your skin and your dignity will thank you.