Scientific: Cylindropuntia bigelovii (formerly Opuntia bigelovii)
Common: Teddy bear cholla, jumping cholla (though other cholla species are also
reported to mysteriously jump onto one's pants)
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Upper Sonoran Desert in habitats with sloped topography and fast draining soil. Also found in the southwest region of the Mojave Desert into northwestern Arizona.
Pronounciation: Ca-lin-dr-o-pun-TEE-a bi-ge-lov-EE-i
Hardiness zones:
Sunset 12-13
USDA 9-11
Landscape Use: Xeriscape, accent, rock garden, barrier, specimen.
Form & Character: Stout, fixed, rigid, arborescent, friendly looking, but DON'T GET TOO CLOSE as you likely will be wearing stems segments on your pants or self.
Growth Habit: Succulent perennial, branching with cylindrical, jointed stems (not pad forming). Slow growing, upright and branching to 3- to 8-feet in height with near equal spread.
Foliage/Texture: Stems jointed, 2- to 10-inches long and up to 2-inches thick, light green, but hidden by a dense array of white-yellow spines, terminal joint easily detached, spines 7 to 10 or more to 1.5-inches long; trunk pale becoming blackened with age. Branches are not truly cylindrical but have raised areas called tubercles on which the spine-bearing areoles are located. Definitely coarse textured.
Flowers & Fruits: Flowers greenish yellow to 1.5-inches across, fruit deciduous, fleshy, the upper tubercles larger than the lower.
Seasonal Color: None
Temperature: Tolerant
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained soil is required especially if used in an irrigated urban setting.
Watering: Very little supplemental water to establish and none once established.
Pruning: None
Propagation: Seed rare, more common is the rooting detached joints.
Disease and Pests: Root rot in wet soils
Additional comments: Though dangerous, teddy bear cholla is the best, most ornamental cholla for
Phoenix landscapes.
Taxonomic musings: There are 28 species in the genus Cylindropuntia. Other locally indigenious chollas include:
Recently, the genus Opunita was taxonomically re-organized. Many references will
never-the-less still incorrectly refer to chollas as belonging
to the genus Opuntia, rather than Cylindropuntia.
