Grizzly Prickly Pear Cactus

The Grizzly prickly pear cactus is a little bit more unusual than your typical prickly pear. The spines on it are, well, grizzly.  They are very fine and not only painful if you get them in your skin, but since they come in small bunches, extremely difficult to get out. 

This is the one cactus of the six different varieties I have in my backyard which I stay furthest away from and approach with care.  That's what makes getting a really decent shot of its flowers more challenging than the the others. 

Each variety of cactus has a unique colored flower.  The beavertail (named after the shape of its pads) I posted yesterday was a stunning pink.  This grizzly is red-orange.  When the Santa Rita prickly pear blooms, you'll see it's yellow. All beautiful in their own way.

(What looks like fuzz and dust is actually pollen.  The bees love them.)