Types of Cholla Cacti

Chain-Fruit Cholla

• The largest of the cholla, the chain-fruit cholla, can grow up to 15 feet in height. This tree-like cactus produces fruits that hang from its branches, and if they are not dislodged a new fruit will grow the following year linked to last year's fruit. These chains of fruits can be up to two feet long, and they give the cactus its common name. The fruits are easily dislodged, however, and they can fall onto passersby, leading to another common nickname, the jumping cholla.

Buckthorn Cholla

• Buckthorn is another large variety of cholla, growing up to 10 feet tall. It is a light green or purple cactus with long branches that resemble the antlers of a deer, and it grows in the Sonoran Desert. Its flowers are particularly striking, ranging in color from bright yellow to orange, pink or red. It is similar in form to the staghorn cholla.

Teddy Bear Cholla

• Covered with fine spines that appear soft and fuzzy in certain light and from a distance, this cholla gets its common name from its deceptively benign appearance. This species, which can grow up to 7 feet tall, is as dangerous as any other cholla, however. Its dense spines can easily pierce flesh, and its stem segments easily break away from the plant and become lodged in anyone unlucky enough to brush against it. Because of this habit, teddy bear cholla is also sometimes called jumping cholla.

Devil Cholla

• Devil cholla is typical of a group of cacti called club chollas. Unlike the the tree-like chollas, club chollas grow close to the ground and branch from the base rather than from the tops of stems. They are called club cholla because of the club-shaped joints in their stems, and unlike other chollas, their spines are not covered by a papery sheath.