Cane Cholla, Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri

About Cane Cholla (Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri) 1 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Cane Cholla is one of the most common native species of cholla cactus in California. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. parkeri is found in desert transition chaparral adjacent to the low desert of San Diego County and northern Baja, northward to Santa Barbara County where it grows at elevations from 0-5,200 feet. Chollas tend to hybridize freely, and determinations of species and varieties can be difficult. Var. parkeri is generally distinguished by its erect habit and long, straight segments. The segments are usually 3-5 times longer than wide. The flowers are generally yellow, sometimes with streaks of green or orange. The fruit is dry and inedible.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub, Succulent

Size

5 - 10 ft tall
5 - 10 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Yellow, Orange, Green

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Numerous insects are attracted to the flowers
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 6 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Cahela Moth Cahela ponderosellaCahela ponderosella

Pseudoschinia elautalisPseudoschinia elautalis

Dyotopasta yumaellaDyotopasta yumaella

Laetilia dilatifasciellaLaetilia dilatifasciella

Dicymolomia opuntialisDicymolomia opuntialis

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 1

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Sandy or decomposed granite

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with other high Desert or Desert edge species such as Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), Desert Agave (Agave deserti), Parish Viguiera (Bahiopsis parishii), Chaparral Whitethorn (Ceanothus leucodermis), Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum), Calico Cactus (Echinocereus endlemannii), Brittle Bush (Encelia actonii or farinosa), Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium), California Juniper (Juniperus californicus), Pinyon Pine (Pinus monophylla), Desert Scrub Oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri), White Sage (Salvia apiana), Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua), and Mojave Yucca (Yucca shidigera)

Propagation?

Propagation of chollas is best accomplished by detaching segments and planting them in desired locations. Use caution because the spines are formidable.

Sunset Zones?

14, 16, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Sandy areas in desert transition chaparral

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 5.7" - 30.9", Summer Precipitation: 0.19" - 2.95", Coldest Month: 34.3" - 56.2", Hottest Month: 63.2" - 85.0", Humidity: 1.82" - 36.17", Elevation: 40" - 6303"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Opuntia parryi
Common Names: Brownspined Pricklypear

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Cane Cholla

Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri

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Cane ChollaCylindropuntia californica var. parkeri

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Cane Cholla

Cylindropuntia californica var. parkeri