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Pencil Cholla
Cylindropuntia ramosissima
  
About Pencil Cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) 2 Nurseries Carry This Plant Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a species of cactus known by the common names diamond cholla and branched pencil cholla. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States, California, and Northwestern Mexico, and to Baja California and its Islas San Benito. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States, California, and Northwestern Mexico, and to Baja California and its Islas San Benito. Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a decumbent or erect and treelike cactus which can approach 2 meters-6 feet in maximum height. It has many narrow branches made up of cylindrical segments, green in color drying gray, the surface divided into squarish, flat tubercles with few or no spines, or often with a single long, straight spine. The flower is small and orange, pink or brownish in color. The fruit is a small, dry, spiny body up to 2 centimeters long.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub, Succulent

Size
Size
5 - 6.6 ft tall

Flower Color
Flower Color
Orange, Pink, Brown

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Pseudoschinia elautalis Image
Pseudoschinia elautalisPseudoschinia elautalis
*
Laetilia dilatifasciella Image
Laetilia dilatifasciellaLaetilia dilatifasciella
*
Dicymolomia opuntialis Image
Dicymolomia opuntialisDicymolomia opuntialis

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Nurseries
Nurseries

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
8, 9, 10, 11, 12*, 13*, 14, 19, 20, 21

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Desert flats

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.2" - 11.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.27" - 2.09", Coldest Month: 44.2" - 62.4", Hottest Month: 67.9" - 88.8", Humidity: 1.77" - 42.81", Elevation: 149" - 5180"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Opuntia ramosissima
Common Names: Branched Pencil Cholla, Cholla Diamante, Diamond Cholla


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


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