Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
teddybear cholla
Family Name:
Cactaceae
Botanical Name:
Cylndropuntia bigelovii
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
A generally shorter arborescent cactus, The inner body is olive green, and branches are short stubby, rounded along the edges and covered with dense, 2.5-3.8cm (1-1.5 inches) pale spines. The flowers are bright green or pale yellow in color, and individual petals in the corolla are streaked with a tinge of lavender. The fruits are bright yellow color, long, egg-shaped, and have a lumpy, corn kernal-like appearance. Their roots are thin and short, often close to the surface for to facilitate water intake from the surface as with light rains. Upon death, the skeletal body appears hollow with many oval holes.
Compound:
cyl big
Geographic Origin:
Northwest Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Desert
Natural History:
From Latin, Cylindro means Cylinder, Opuntia comes from a city called opus in Greece, and Bigellovi is supposed to honor Dr John Milton Bigelow. Cylindropuntia Bigellovi was discovered by James E. Cole on May 21st of 1941. This plant can be found at elevations of 100-3000ft among other desert plants on rocky slopes and winding sandy hills. The soil is often dry and sandy from their existing desert climate. Ecologically, this flowering plant provides pollen for native bee species. Pack rats utilize the spines to protect their nests, and cactus wrens will build their nests in them among many other cactuses.
Cultivation Notes:
To successfully germinate from a seed is to be within a dry and well drained, sandy soil with maximum sunlight exposure during early spring. This can also be done through cuttings, leaving the cutting to dry and callous before potting in sandy soil. They root quick Teddy bear cholla were used as a food source of the natives that had taken residence in southern California. Young cactus buds are plucked, then cooked. Once cooked, they can be dried and stored for later consumption. The spines of the plant can be used as sewing needles, and the wood of this plant would be used greatly for started a fire as it is highly combustible (5). ly. This cactus can grow in 9-11 USDA hardiness zones.
Ethnobotany:
Teddy bear cholla were used as a food source of the natives that had taken residence in southern California. Young cactus buds are plucked, then cooked. Once cooked, they can be dried and stored for later consumption. The spines of the plant can be used as sewing needles, and the wood of this plant would be used greatly for started a fire as it is highly combustible (5).
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Green
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
Sources referenced:
- The Audubon Society Nature Guide: Deserts
- Gardenia.net
- Cylindropuntia bigelovii, Teddy Bear Cholla.html
- Castetter, Edward F. and Ruth M. Underhill 1935 Ethnobiological Studies in the American Southwest II. The Ethnobiology of the Papago Indians. University of New Mexico Bulletin 4(3):1-84 (p. 46)
- Ethnoherbalist. Retrieved Oct. 15, 2024.
- National Park Service Museum Management Program, Discovering The desert / diverse landscapes, Retrieved October 15 2024
