Silver or Golden Cholla

The cylindropuntia echinocarpa is a variable species. It can take a variety of shapes. South of Clark Valley, it may appear as a tree nearly 7 feet tall. Elsewhere, it is seen as a low plant only 3 feet tall and resembling the teddy bear cholla, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, but with longer stem segments. At other times, it may be confused with a gander’s cholla, C. ganderi. Sometimes the ground around a C. echinocarpa is littered with its stems as is typical of a C. bigelovii. At other times, the stems remain attached to the plant and the ground is clean.

A Cylindropuntia echinocarpa with golden spines is called a golden cholla and with white or gray spines is called a silver cholla. In Anza-Borrego, it can be found in Desert Gardens on the Coyote Canyon Jeep Trail about 2.5 miles north of the north end of DiGiorgio Road in Borrego Springs. It has also been found off Highway 79 near Warner Springs.

Cylindropuntia echinocarpa is notable for the density of its spines, about 10 to 17 per areole. It is in flower from March through June. It is found at elevations from 150 feet to 5,600 feet above sea level.