Life…uh….Finds a way
These plants never cease to amaze and impress. Picture 1 is the result of reading this sub a while back and noting someone’s comment about the hardiness of opuntia’s and that even a paddle falling on the ground will just grow new roots and start a whole new plant. Smash cut to….
A few weeks later a wind storm knocked down the arm of the parent plant in Picture 2 and a few paddles that I rooted in some pots to eventually plant around the property. While cleaning up the fallen arm, the aforementioned Redditor’s comment made its way to the forefront of my brain and I just decided to stick it randomly in some dirt (ie, sand) in a back corner, out of the way landscaping area (you can see the weed-block fabric I pulled up to get to the bare earth) and let it ride.
It sat there for weeks just chilling when all of a sudden - is that? Yep, sure as shit there another paddle popping up. Just how we draw up the plays, right team? 😂
Anyway. Nothing amazing or new here in this message, just another humble cactus and succulent fan continually impressed at their innate ability to grow and thrive.
Oh, and funny enough, the parent plant was probably the size of the plant in Picture 1 when I bought her at Hime Depot and planted her. :)