Scientific: Cylindropuntia imbricata (formerly Opuntia imbricata)
Common: cane cholla, tree cholla
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Arid regions of the Southwestern United States in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Colorado, and southern Nevada south into northern Mexico as far south as San Luis Potosi from elevations of 3,000 to 7,500 feet.
Invasive alert: Cane cholla has naturalized in parts of Queensland, New South Whales, Victoria, and South Australia of Australia where it has become an invasive species. It has also naturalized in South America, South Africa, and the Mediterranean basin.
Pronounciation: Ca-lin-dr-o-pun-TEE-a im-bri-KA-ta
Hardiness zones:
Sunset 9-13
USDA 6-11
Landscape Use: Xeriscape, accent, rock garden, barrier, specimen.
Form & Character: Stout, fixed, imposing, rigid, arborescent, dry.
Growth Habit: Succulent perennial, branching, sprawling, with cylindrical, jointed stems (not pad forming) to 12 feet in height with a near equal to greater spread.
Foliage/Texture: Stem joints about 15-inches long, green with knotty ridges, aeorles on knotty stems ridges sparsely cloaked with 1 inch white to brown spines; coarse texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Flowers magenta purple to 1.5-inches across; fruits are yellow when ripe, fleshy and persistent.
Seasonal Color: Flowers of cane cholla are not as showy as other as other cacti, but persistent yellow fruits are somewhat ornate. Stems redden during winter.
Temperature: Tolerant of desert heat and surprisingly cold 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 except to rarely.
Propagation: Seed rare, more common is the easy rooting of detached joints.
Disease and Pests: Root rot in wet soils.
Additional comments: Cane cholla is a more cold tolerant than other cholla species and is also more visually dominant because of its large, arborescent size. Cane cholla fruits are eaten by various birds and mammals, and the plant provides nesting habitat for birds.
