The Cane Cholla | Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

People who are not familiar with southwestern plants often mistake the fruit of a cane cholla for flowers.

From a distance the bright yellow fruit can look like blossoms, but the real flowers of the cholla are pink.

One other lesson to be learned about cholla-- view at a safe distance. The plant can't throw needles any more than a porcupine can, but tiny, thin spines detach at the lightest contact and are incredibly hard to remove.

The antidote? Gorilla tape! Place a piece across the area with needles and give a good yank to get the tape off. The hair-fine (and really painful) spines usually stick to the tape and come out.

Better yet. View from a safe distance and don't test the theory.