cholla

Cholla – Plant

LATIN NAME
Opuntia imbricata

LONGEVITY
Perennial

SEASON
Warm

ORIGIN
Native

DETAILS:

  • Common names include, “Walking-stick cholla” and “Tree cholla.”
  • Grows from 3-9 feet tall; sometimes forms dense thickets.
  • Flowers May to June; purple petals.
  • The stems and fruit are known to be eaten by man and animal. The stems with tissue removed form a hollow cylinder with a frame-work of holes and meshes.
  • The woody skeletons of this sort are made into odd-looking walking canes.
  • Fruit is used for dye.
  •  Adapted to clay loam, sandy, and gravelly sites of plains and prairies.

QUALITY TRAITS