Tree cholla

Cylindropuntia imbricata

Family:: Cactaceae
Elevation:: 4,000 ft – 7,000 ft
Bloom:: May – Jul
Region:: Southwest

The upright, many-armed cholla that dots NM grasslands, with magenta flowers in early summer and persistent yellow tubercled fruit. Dead stems dry into the hollow 'cholla wood' sold in curio shops.

Care · tuned to the Southwest

Water

None once established. Extremely drought hardy.

Sun & exposure

Full sun.

Soil

Any lean, well-drained alkaline soil; common on overgrazed range because livestock avoid it.

In the Southwest

Spines are barbed and genuinely hard to remove — site it away from paths and pets. Cold-hardy well into the high desert. Provides nesting cover for cactus wrens and thrashers.

Common problems & fixes

Cochineal scale — white cottony tufts on the stems conceal sap-feeding insects
Fix — Wash the white masses off with a strong stream of water and repeat as needed.
Overwatering and rot — soft, blackened, rotting stem segments from excess water
Fix — Grow in lean, gritty, fast-draining soil and avoid all supplemental irrigation once established.

Pets & toxicity

Not toxic, but the barbed spines are a serious hazard to curious dogs.

Easy to confuse with

Buckhorn cholla (C. acanthocarpa) — spiny fruit, more southern
Prickly pear — flat pads

Sources

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