Chain Fruit Cholla - Cylindropuntia fulgida

The chain fruit cholla looks as much like a tree in the desert as a cactus possibly can. It has a central trunk from which sprout many spiny "branches." It is commonly found in dry, sandy soils of bajadas, valley floors, and plains of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, in southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico, at elevations up to 4,000 feet.

It has many segmented, irregular, drooping branches covered with a dense layer of sharp spines. These spines have a straw-colored sheath when young which turns dark gray as they mature, helping to reflect sunlight and prevent overheating. As the cholla gets older, the spines fall off, leaving a rough and scaly bark on the trunk and old branches.

The segmented branches have light-green leaves about ½–1 inch long when young. One-inch-long white and pink flowers streaked with lavender bloom from spring through summer, often at the ends of branches and on old fruit. The pear-shaped fruit is about 1.5 inches long and half as wide. Clusters of these fruits may remain attached for years, producing new flowers each season and growing into chains up to 2 feet long — hence the name “chain fruit cholla.”

This cactus is also called “jumping cholla” (not to be confused with Teddy Bear Cholla, Cylindropuntia bigelovii) because the segments break off easily when brushed against and stick to you, giving the impression it jumped. Segments often attach to animals and are dispersed for short distances.

The fruit is not always fertile, and the plant often reproduces vegetatively from fallen stem joints and fruit. During droughts, animals like desert bighorn sheep and desert tortoises rely on the juicy fruit for both food and water. Large stands of chain fruit cholla grow in Arizona. The species is not considered vulnerable or endangered, partly because it grows in inaccessible, harsh areas of the desert.

Wildlife Value
Host Plant: Cactus-feeding moth larvae, including the invasive Cactus Moth (Cactoblastis cactorum)
Nectar Source: Verified for native bees and other generalist pollinators
Bird Resources: Fruit/Berries; Nectar; Seeds; Cavity; Nest
Bird Species: Hummingbirds (various spp.); LeConte’s Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei); Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus); Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura); Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata); Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus); Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)
Other Wildlife: Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis); Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)