I found a number of these fellows growing alongside I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix AZ.
It was late April and they appeared to be fruiting. They were very large, between 15-25' tall.
I've tried various Cacti keys, google keyword searches, sorting through hundreds of images and asking people on a photography group I post to. No luck
Someone told me they were some kind of Joshua Tree, but aren't their trunks more hairy than spiny? They also have a classic shape, so says the photog who has only been seeing wild cacti in the SW for a few years now!
Someone else said Jumping Cholla, but isn't that one "the Teddy Bear Cactus" that looks very fluffy when backlit and is only about knee- to shoulder-high?
Any thoughts or clues would be appreciated
Help for a newbie identifying a large cactus tree
- Tom in Tucson
- Posts: 435
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:12 pm
- Location: NW Tucson AZ area
Re: Help for a newbie identifying a large cactus tree
The ID of "Jumping Cholla" is correct. It's scientific name is currently Cylindropuntia fulgida. They grow to between 1 and 3 meters tall. They resemble the "Teddy Bear Cactus" (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), but are a little less spiny (dangerous).
Re: Help for a newbie identifying a large cactus tree
OK, here's a thought. Is this one the juvenile form of the big prickle-tree above??
Re: Help for a newbie identifying a large cactus tree
Even with them being between 5 and 7 meters tall?? Any thought on my 2nd post below? I just thought of that one these months later, with the proximity and the spine structure being similar. Still, thanks for the confirmation of that original ID. I'll go do some more research.Tom in Tucson wrote: ↑Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:27 pm The ID of "Jumping Cholla" is correct. It's scientific name is currently Cylindropuntia fulgida. They grow to between 1 and 3 meters tall. They resemble the "Teddy Bear Cactus" (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), but are a little less spiny (dangerous).
- greenknight
- Posts: 4819
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
- Location: SW Washington State zone 8b
Re: Help for a newbie identifying a large cactus tree
These are unusually large specimens, but Cylindropuntia fulgida is the largest of the Cholla species, so large size would not suggest any other species. Sources I looked at said they get up to 4 meters. They have a large range, and the size is highly variable, so I imagine these just happened to grow in a particularly favorable location.
Spence