Opuntia Ficus

This shot is for Connections who wrote about cactus recently. Our Luther Burbank spineless cactus started as a single paddle which our contractor,  a fancier of starting plants from seeds brought over one day. We stuck it in the ground next to a metal one we bought because we were having so much trouble growing things in our rocky clay soil, and we thought it was funny. Now, nearly six years later it has grown to over six feet tall...the real one that is. The metal one is exactly the same....

Here are some of Luther Burbank's suggestions for using his spineless cacti:
Plants - can be grown as hedges and fences
Woody skeletons - -can be used in construction of houses and rustic furniture
Stems -  have sap to make chewing gum
Thalli (pads or leaves) 
   *can be used for cattle fodder
   *can substitute for a hot water bottle
   *can be split open and used as poultices to relieve     inflammation; when soaked in water they release viscous juice that promotes healing of wounds and bruises
Juice 
   *can be used to manufacture candles
   *can be spread on water to smother mosquito larvae
Young shoots
   *can be boiled or fried
    *can be chopped and cooked with shellfish, pork, and eggs; can be flavored with chopped tomatoes, chiles or coriander
Fruit 
     *can be cooked into jams or preserves
     *can be cooked down and fermented into a drink called 'coloncha'.
     *can be dried and made into candy
Seed
      *can be eaten in soups
      *can be dried and ground into flour

We have enough trouble finding ways to use  all our tomatoes....