Beware of the Cholla Cactus

These guys are too funny about their experience with a badass cholla. I wondered if this video was staged, but I don’t even care; even if it was, they are badass heroes to do this for a few moments of fame on YouTube!
It turns out, it didn’t give them a few moments; it gave them a giant well deserved recognition. As of today, this video has 32,318,721 views. Now it’s your turn….

More About the (Teddy Bear) Cholla

The teddy bear cholla is named for its furry “cuddly” appearance but is a densely spined plant. This dense covering of spines almost wholly obscures the stem, shielding it from exposure to intense sunlight. Characteristically, the base of the plant is black or chocolate-brown, where the older branches have fallen off. In comparison, the younger units have a golden or silvery appearance, depending on the color of the spine sheaths. The plants grow to 1-1.5 meters tall, with many short branches, which are readily detached by animals or even wind and then take root in the soil.
Teddy bear cholla is widespread and abundant in the lower, warmer parts of the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico. Sometimes whole hillsides can be covered with a forest of these plants, all derived from fallen, rooted branches.