Texas Nipple Cactus

My Texas Nipple Cactus endured a really bad freeze here in Austin in January. Part of it looks pretty dead, but some has enough green th...Read Moreat it might come back. How can I tell if it's dead or alive?

I have read that the small fruits of all mammillaria are edible. And these of prolifera are supposed to be very tasty. (I haven't tried...Read More them). I read that they have a strawberry taste. Sometimes mammillaria are called "chilita" in Spanish because the fruits look like little chile peppers.

A friend went to the local botanical garden and bought me one of these at the gift shop there. It's very fascinating and I love it. I a...Read Morelways think that it looks so unhealthy and not happy though, and then it will burst into a round of blooming. Does anyone know if this is normal for this specific cactus?

This is Mom's. She is so excited with the blooms but has been wondering about the little red thing. We figured it out searching here, i...Read Morets a seed pod. Full of seeds. I left home and lived in TX, loved the Hill Country, but never really got into the Cacti of desert regions. She has shared this plant with a lot of family. Some have never had it bloom. Everything just elongates for some. Mom wanted to get her tweezers and pluck out the red, carefully. I got a picture first. And you see the blossoms emerging like horns. :c) This is one blossom we missed? You can't have a seed without the flower. But the spikes are more pronounced with her cactus. Could this be the same?
I've read Dave's Garden from the get go, looking for me understanding plant life and gardening. Now, this prickly little thing as made me push forward. Few Cacti do not grow naturally in NC, but these women in this family don't let anything stop them when it comes to plants, understanding and celebrating these little prickly green succulent things. :c) Even with them prickly, and the pears dropping off. I'm at the point of a calm frustration. I can't figure out how to upload this photo so we can get some possible feedback, helping us understand a cactus coming from her Mom, and her Mom's Mom. We just want to know about this little cactus that's been passed through 4 generations now. Going on 5. Mom is 80, been gardening down here on a rock shelf in Union Co, NC. We are very proud of her. This is fun, sharing with her all the information on the http://www. She may be 80 June 15th, but she ain't dead!