Hangfruit Cholla - Cylindropuntia Fulgida - Jumping Cholla - Chainfruit Edible Medicinal Sonoran Desert Succulent ~ Pink Buds & Blooms

Chainfruit Cholla - Cylindropuntia Fulgida - Wild Grown in Arizona - Edible Medicinal Sonoran Desert Succulent Plant ~ Pink Buds & Blooms

Scientific Name: Cylindropuntia fulgida
Common Name: Jumping Cholla
Also Called: Cholla Brincadora, Chain-fruit Cholla, Hanging Chain Cholla; (Spanish: Choya, Velas de Coyote).
Family: Cactaceae, Cactus Family
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 9 feet.
Growth Form: Shrub or tree; trunk divaricately branching; stem segments about 5 inches long, whorled or sub-whorled.
Leaves: Areoles gold to tan maturing gray or black; glochids yellow; spines about one inch long, 0 to 12 per areole, yellowish to brown, whitish sheaths, upper spines erect, basal spines also erect to deflexed.
Flower Color: Pink to magenta inner tepals; flowers open late afternoon; fruits gray green and obconic, fruits fleshy and spine-less, forming long pendulous chains that branch; fruits with viable seeds persist in "chains" for several decades.
Flowering Season: (June) April to September.
Habitat Preferences: Sandy flats, rocky slopes and rolling hillsides.
Recorded Range: Jumping Cholla is found in the southwestern United States in AZ, CA and NM. It is also native to northwestern Mexico.

This plant has many uses and medicinal properties. It has been used as a food and medicine by several Native American tribes. It was also used for making fences, toys, and utensils. The fruit of this plant is edible and sweet tasting. The wood with its signature holes is used in crafts and terrariums. This cactus is a favorite nesting spot for birds. It is spiny enough to protect them from predators.

How to prepare cholla buds for eating: https://honest-food.net/cholla-buds-edible/

Please note: Instructions on growing and handling are included with all orders, but it is up to you to research each plant and adjust to your climate. Please consider humidity and moisture levels in comparison to their native desert climates, and adjust your watering schedule, sunlight, and soil needs accordingly to what you may read online. "Full sun" in Southern Arizona is not the same as "full sun" in Pennsylvania. Any plant can be grown anywhere with the right knowledge, preparation and care.
Cactus poaching is a huge problem here in the Southwest. I use cactus photos from my hikes out in the Sonoran desert for some of my listings, because these are great examples of mature plants in a beautiful natural environment, but don't get it twisted! I do not practice or condone poaching from the wild. All cactus cuttings are taken from my own plants grown outside in my garden or greenhouse, or gathered legally & sustainably on private properties with permission.