On May 16, 2025 I planted a young Prickly Pear cactus, grown from a mature plant that is in San Antonio. I think this might be a Spineless Prickly Pear (Opuntia ellisiana), which has been derived by cultivation (so not a true native), but I may have to study it more as it grows to confirm that identity.
The photo at the beginning of this post is how it looked at the time of planting. And this is how it appears now, just seven weeks later. What looked like spines on the new pads were very soft and soon fell off. The larger new pad is now at least the size of the original horizontal one.
By the way, if you are uncertain about the difference between thorns, spines, and prickles (as I was a couple of years ago!), this is the explanation I wrote when I was setting myself straight on that topic.
Rewilding My Lot 
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