Cylindropuntia fulgida
| Light | Full sun; the more the better |
|---|---|
| Water | Drought-tolerant; water sparingly in growth, keep dry and cool in winter |
| Soil | Very fast-draining gritty mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Hardy to around USDA zone 9; protect from prolonged hard frost and winter wet |
| Propagation | Detached stem or fruit segments root with ease (see Propagation — cuttings) |
| Toxicity | Not considered systemically toxic, but the barbed spines and glochids cause serious mechanical injury |
Cylindropuntia fulgida is a large, tree-like cholla from the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, best known for the dense, dangling chains of fruit that hang from its branches and for how readily its spiny segments detach and hitch a ride on anything that brushes past. These traits have earned it the common names jumping cholla and chain-fruit cholla. It belongs to the genus Cylindropuntia, the cylindrical-stemmed chollas of the cactus family.
Description
Cylindropuntia fulgida grows into a shrubby to tree-like plant, typically reaching 1–3 metres tall with a short, woody trunk and a rounded crown of drooping, easily-detached branches. The stems are cylindrical and made up of segments (joints) covered in prominent tubercles, each bearing an areole armed with barbed spines. In most forms the spines are dense and sheathed in a papery, straw-coloured covering that catches the light and gives the whole plant a fuzzy, backlit glow — the source of the epithet fulgida, meaning "shining".
The plant does not, of course, actually jump. Its "jumping" reputation comes from how weakly the terminal joints are attached: the barbed spines catch skin, clothing or fur at the lightest contact, and the segment pulls free and rides along, only to take root wherever it is eventually shed.
The most distinctive feature is the fruit. Rather than dropping after flowering, the green, spineless fruits persist on the plant and new flowers are often produced from old fruit, so that year after year they build up into long, branching, pendent chains that can hang well below the branches. Flowers are small, appearing in the warmer months, and are typically pink to pale rose.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the Sonoran Desert region, ranging across southern Arizona and into the Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa. It favours flats, bajadas and desert slopes, often forming conspicuous stands on disturbed or overgrazed ground where its readiness to root from fallen segments gives it an advantage.
In habitat it is a familiar and sometimes formidable presence, and desert travellers quickly learn to give it a wide berth. The chains of fruit are also a modest food source for desert wildlife, and the plant can provide sheltered nesting sites for birds among its armoured branches.
Cultivation
Cylindropuntia fulgida is an undemanding plant for growers with the space and the caution to handle it. Give it the brightest position available — full, unfiltered sun suits it — and a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix. Water freely during the warm growing season once the soil has dried, then keep it dry and cool through winter; like most chollas it tolerates drought far better than it tolerates sitting wet.
It is reasonably cold-hardy where winters are dry, but combined cold and damp will cause rot. The main practical concern is the spines: the barbed spines and fine glochids are painful and difficult to remove, so handle segments with tongs or folded newspaper, site the plant well away from paths and children, and think carefully before planting it where it can spread. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Propagation could hardly be easier — indeed the plant's whole biology is built around it. Any detached joint, and even the persistent fruits, will readily form roots once placed on or lightly pressed into gritty soil. Allow a freshly detached segment to callus for a few days, then set it on a dry mineral mix and water only lightly until roots establish. Seed plays almost no part: the species is a sterile triploid whose persistent fruits set little or no viable seed, so in practice increase is entirely vegetative. See Propagation — cuttings and Propagation — offsets for detailed method.
Common problems
- Rot — the usual cause of loss, from overwatering or from cold combined with winter wet; affected joints soften and discolour.
- Unwanted spread — dropped segments root wherever they land, so the plant can colonise a bed or wander into paths if fallen joints are not cleared away.
- Injury when handling — not a plant problem as such, but the barbed spines and glochids make careless handling genuinely hazardous; always use tongs and remove strays promptly.
- Pests — mealybugs can lodge in the areoles and tubercles; watch for white fluff and cottony masses.
See also
- Cylindropuntia — the genus overview
- Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Pests and diseases