Chain Fruit Cholla, Jumping Cholla

Description:

A very spiny cactus, usually a shrub, but sometimes more like a tree, with a number of irregular, jointed branches bearing sharp-barbed spines that are painful and difficult to remove. Because the cholla's 3- to 8-inch joints separate easily, they appear sometimes to "jump" to attack passersby. Also called the "chain fruit cholla" this variety grows to a height of 6 to 15 feet and a diameter of up to 8 feet. It is the largest of the cholla; other cholla specimens are usually much smaller. The somewhat drooping branches bear light-green, 1/2- to 1-inch leaves only when young. Clusters of green, spineless, pear-shaped fruit about an inch in length hang in chains from the branches. Some remain attached for several years, bearing new flowers annually, sometimes with no seeds. New fruits are added to those from previous seasons, creating a chain of spineless fruit up to 2 feet long -- hence the name "chain fruit."

Habitat:

Wash running through housing development.

Notes:

In times of drought, deer and bighorn sheep have traditionally relied on this juicy fruit as a source of food and water. These days, cattle often rely on it for the same reasons, sometimes growing fond enough of this desert delicacy to ignore the sharp barbs of its jointed branches, even in moister times.