David Attenborough encounters the most DANGEROUS plant in the desert!

[Warpy]

7. People jere have them in their yards.

They bloom in June, bright pink or yellow flowers, very showy.

At least you see what you're getting with the teddy bear cholla. I think there are worse plants, like Australia's gympie-gympie or the invasive giant hogweed or the manchineel tree with its poisonous sap anc cute little apples or even nasty pests like gorse, with hairlike spines that are hard to spot and hurt like hell if you don't get them out.

I remember poison control had a fairly elaborate way to get a large number of spines (like you'd fallen into a big patch of the stuff) that required antibiotic ointment or Vaseline, soaks in a bathtub, and a couple of other things to soften the spines enough that the barbs wouldn't make you hit the ceiling when they were pulled out. Also, if you get stuck around the head or neck, it's wise to go to the ER for an antibiotic prescription. The spines can carry some really nasty bugs.

The flowers are gorgeous. Most cacti have bright, showy flowers. However, seeing those spines sticking out of a glove is major cringe. Ow. No thanks.