No, cacti have spines (modified leaves) that are dead and do not produce any type of toxins on their surfaces. Although, some cacti, especially prickly-pears and chollas do have microscopic spine surfaces with cells pointing outward and backward (retrorse scabrosity), like a fishhook. These spines can cause physical tissue damage when the spine is removed from the skin, causing pain and inflammation of the area.

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Well, there is no real easy way to remove cactus spines although many techniques have been proposed. The best alternative is to try and not get stuck by a cactus, but if you do here are some options. Generally, a comb is useful to remove cactus stem pieces (such as cholla joints/branches) and clusters of spines. Individual spines are best extracted with fine-tipped forceps or precision pliers.

We have a close relative of poison-ivy, called poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). If you are going to spend time in any wild places in southern California or northern Baja California (except in the deserts), it is very important that you learn to recognize this plant. It is a common component of the natural vegetation in coastal canyons, foothill chaparral, and forest systems throughout the region.

No, but many people swear that "jumping" cacti, like the Teddy-bear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), Chain-fruit cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida), and the Clavelina (Cylindropuntia molesta) can throw their spiny stems at them as they walk by.

We try to use the catalog number from each item's spine as the default throughout the site. It's just a whole lot easier to conform to that than mention every numbering variation one item may have -- some items actually list the catalog number differently when you compare the spine and inserts. Detail pages will make note of the variations, though, so please include those details when you submit new info.

With a few exceptions, transplanting a cactus isn't much different from transplanting any other plant. Cacti are tough. Often it's enough simply to stick one in the ground and leave it alone. But you can increase your cactus' chances for surviving the transplanting by taking the following steps: Choose a site where the cactus will receive about the same amount of sunlight as before, and orient the plant so that what was previously the sunniest side still is.

ONGARD® needs to be applied every four hours. The reason is that the skin sloughs off skin particles after about four hours so any protectant should be re-applied every four hours.

Yes you can. Most animals have a protective skin that is immune to the urushiol oil in poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. The urushiol oil can remain on the surface of your pet’s fur or skin and when a human hand touches the animal, the urushiol oil can transfer to you.

Before you go outside, apply ONGARD® Skin Protectant to your hands and any other exposed skin that could touch the leaves on any poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac plant. If you stay outside, you should re-apply ONGARD® every four hours. If you touch any of those plants, be sure to wash off the sap from those plants with soap and water, and then dry your skin with a disposable paper towel.

The best way to deal with Poison Ivy is to first properly identify it. In the spring Poison Ivy emerges as small red leaves. Soon it matures into a bright green leaf made up of 3 leaflets. It appears as a low shrub or climbing vine. In the spring and early summer you can try to control new poison ivy growth by spraying it with a non-selective herbicide containing glyphosate. These can be found at your local garden center or hardware store.

Theoretically, desensitization or allergy shots to poison ivy can be accomplished; however, practically it cannot be done. It has been tried in the past, and the side effects have been too great to warrant widespread use. Thus, at the present time, there is no available desensitization program for poison ivy or poison oak.

A poison is any potentially harmful substance taken into, or applied to the body. This includes exposure by ingestion, inhalation, injection, and through the skin or eye. Almost any substance may be poisonous if you come into contact with excessive quantities. Exposure to poisonous substances can result immediately in toxic effects, or the results of the exposure can be delayed for hours or days. The effects can be temporary or may, in some cases be more permanent.

Sounds like you're here for the winter climate and not the natural beauty the desert offers. There are plenty of non-native plants available in the nurseries that are drought tolerant, don't have thorns, and will thrive in a Tucson landscape. They may have small leaves, thick stems, and look best in the spring and fall like many native plants.

Saguaro (pronounced sah-war-oh) cacti, Carnegiea gigantea, only grow in the Sonoran Desert and are the largest cacti in the U.S. Growth rates vary depending on climate, precipitation, and location. The first branches or "arms" begin to appear when the plant is 50 to 70 years old. The saguaro grows slowly and a 10-year old plant may be less than 2-inches tall. A mature adult saguaro may be as tall as 40-50 feet, may weigh 6 tons or more, and is generally considered to be about 125 years old.

Yes. There are verified instances of blind people recovering eyesight after a fall, of individuals able to walk again after their wheelchair was thrown and of amnesiacs who remember their past after receiving a trauma - these are examples of "accidental adjustments.

A. Well, what I've observed indicates that tom lions don't have spines as prominent as, say, male tigers. As I said before, it makes sense when you consider their social nature and the use of sex as a social bonding thing - they mate so often, and a lioness has free reign amongst all the males of her pride (they take turns at her!), that I think a lioness in season would start feeling really sore with too many spined penises entering her vagina.