Cactus · Sonoran native
Buckhorn Cholla
Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa · Cactaceae
Also called: Coastal Cholla (regional)
Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa) is a very low-water cactus native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 3-6 ft H x 3-6 ft W (occasionally to 9 ft) in full sun, with a slow growth rate.
Buckhorn Cholla at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun
- Mature size
- 3-6 ft H x 3-6 ft W (occasionally to 9 ft)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Variable: yellow, orange, red, or bronze-maroon, Spring (April-May)
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15 F; USDA zones 8a-11
- Soil
- Well-drained, coarse, rocky or gravelly desert soils on slopes, bajadas, and flats; requires sharp drainage.
- Native range
- Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Mexico
- Best used as
- Accent/specimen, Barrier or security planting, Wildlife and habitat gardens, Native/desert revegetation
- Wildlife
- Provides important nesting sites for cactus wrens and protective cover for desert birds and small mammals; flowers draw native bees; fruits and seeds eaten by birds, rodents, and other wildlife.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic but heavily armed; barbed spines and glochids detach easily and cause painful injury to people and animals.
How to grow Buckhorn Cholla in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
None needed once established. Water young transplants deeply but infrequently (every 3-4 weeks in heat) and withhold water in winter; overwatering causes root and stem rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Not required and not recommended; thrives in lean native soils.
Pruning & care
Little to none; prune only to remove dead or hazardous segments using tongs, cutting at joints. Use heavy leather gloves to avoid barbed spines.
Notes
Named for its dry, spiny, burr-like fruit (acanthocarpa = 'spiny-fruited') and antler-like ('buckhorn') branching. Open, shrubby form with prominent tubercles. Site well away from paths and pools.
Sources: AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul Park