Are cactus poisonous?



Don’t worry! If you’re growing cacti, there is a chance you’re going to get poked. But no matter how clumsy you are, you don’t ever need to worry about cactus poison.

To be clear: it’s not quite that there’s no such thing as. There are toxic cactus out there, but they aren’t going to be the kind you buy as garden or houseplants; is only found in wild plants, and it’s very uncommon. (When you think about it, a plant covered in spikes isn’t going to need poison to keep predators away).

Even if there is poison in the cactus, it won’t be in the thorns but the flesh. As long as you aren’t trying to eat one, you are never going to run into trouble with cactus poison. Still, cactus pokes can hurt, and you should treat an injury from a cactus thorn with a bit of care.