Opuntia, Prickly Pear Cactus, Boxing Glove Cholla, Dog's Ear Cholla 'Monstrosa'

The plant does jump right out and grab one if one gets too close.
I find it does like to be watered when it gets to be very large....Read More It will look dry and appear to be dying until watered routinely. However, any part will grow a new plant, even indoors (I have 1 in my kitchen window in total shade.) I find handling it with tongs (like for BBQs) is the easiest way to pick it up and plant it as the spines are very hard to get out once they attack one.
It is so interesting the way it grows sometimes as "fingers" and sometimes as big sort of fans and other fantastical shapes. It came with my rental house garden, but I have planted it in several places with all growing into better plants than the original. Very easy, too.

My question is, I have a boxing glove Cholla and it has some kind of problem where parts are dying. Pruned it today and in one spine ther...Read Moree was a brown center which makes me wonder that it has some kind of bug. Could this be a cochineal bug and how to get rid if it. I am in Chandler, Az. It has been in the ground for 2 years and I love it but don't want to loose it. I walk in our neighborhood and I haven not seen one like it.

These plants are located in several locations in Black Canyon City Arizona. I have one that I got from a piece that I got from a friend. ...Read MoreIt roots easily and grows nicely. At least on the pieces I have handled it's much easier to use your bare hands and carefully grab between the areoles. The spines are short.. From the mammilata part of the the name.. (its a nearly spineless form of C. fulgida...) Also mine tends to crest...

this is a nice looking cactus, but one of the most horrific in terms of handling in my yard of cacti... can't use gloves of any kind... t...Read Morehe spines will find their way through. And the plant breaks apart easily with the lost pieces seemingly magnetically atttracted to my body- yeouch! Had to eventually get rid of this plant.