The Cactus That Was a Menace in my Garden - Austrocylindropuntia Subulata

Hello Hive Friends!

My story this time is about a cactus named Eve´s Needle or Austrocylindropuntia Subulata.

It all started while I was walking along the beach and noticed this beautiful variety of cactus, covered in blooms and often used as a garden hedge. The flowers came in so many vibrant colors—red, orange, pink, and yellow—that they immediately caught my attention. I thought about getting a sample from the garden center so I could grow one myself.

Then, just a couple of days later, I happened to see the town gardeners tending to the plants along the coast. To my surprise, they were cutting back this very same cactus! I asked if I could have a few small cuttings, and they kindly gave me a couple. It felt like the perfect opportunity had simply presented itself, so I brought the cuttings home and decided to give them a try.

If I had known from the beginning that they would become invasive, I probably wouldn’t have planted them. Over the years, they became incredibly robust, and I eventually started to consider them a menace because of how quickly they spread beyond our fence and took over the surrounding plot.

Austrocylindropuntia Subulata Source is a species of cactus native to the Peruvian Andes. The Latin specific epithet subulata means "awl-like", referring to the shape of the rudimentary leaves.[3] It is also known by its common names as Eve's pin and Eve's needle.

Austrocylindropuntia subulata can reach heights up to 4 metres (13 ft), with numerous branches. The elongated, slightly brittle branches are up to 50 centimetres (20 in) long. The stems are marked by rhomboid to ovate bumps in a few spiral rows. At the tip of each bump is the areole, from which grow one to four straight, grayish-white spines up to 8 centimetres (3 in) long. The awl-like rudimentary leaves are up to 12 centimetres (5 in) long.

A. subulata probably comes from the Peruvian Andes, where it is common at altitudes above 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Today it has been naturalised in Argentina and Bolivia. It has been introduced in the Mediterranean basin to form impassable hedges, but it has become invasive in coastal provinces and some in the Iberian interior.

The beauty of the flower of Austrocylindropuntia subulata Photo source

I planted it outside the fence, and it grew so rapidly. The variety I got has pink flowers like the photo above.

The Agave Trimming

At that time, I trimmed the agave I had received from my German lady friend. They were just offshoots then; after about four years, they began producing new side shoots. Agaves need to be trimmed and maintained each season, with the young offshoots, or “pups,” removed to prevent them from spreading too quickly. Otherwise, the garden would soon become overrun with new growth, making it look wild and difficult to manage.

All of the agave leaves were extremely stiff, hard, and difficult to cut. I had to use an electric cutter and wear protective gloves, while taking extra care during the cutting process because the edges of the leaves are extremely sharp, almost like blades.

These were the leaves from eight fully grown agave plants. After cutting them, I gathered all the pieces and carefully placed them in the trailer.

Now, going back to the cactus, if you examine the cuttings closely, you will see that the spikes are extremely dangerous. They are very long, sharp, and strong enough to puncture and flatten vehicle tires.

Because of the amount and difficulty of the work involved in removing and disposing of them safely, I needed additional help. I hired a farmer and arranged for a truck with a trailer to transport all the cuttings to the landfill for proper disposal.

The trailer was full by the time we finished clearing the area. Seeing it filled gave me a real sense of accomplishment, knowing that we had made significant progress in cleaning up the space.

Once the work was completed, I was relieved of the task and able to step away with a sense of satisfaction.

Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day! Mers