Cactus · Sonoran native
Teddy Bear Cholla
Cylindropuntia bigelovii · Cactaceae
Also called: Teddybear Cholla, Jumping Cholla, Silver Cholla
Teddy Bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) is a very low-water cactus native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a slow-growing cactus.
Teddy Bear Cholla at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun, including intense reflected heat; not suited to shade.
- Mature size
- 3-5 ft H x 2-3 ft W (treelike with a dark, short trunk)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Pale yellow to greenish-yellow, often streaked with lavender or pale green, Spring, typically February to May
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15F (USDA zone 8b-11); cold tolerant in the low desert.
- Soil
- Well-drained rocky, gravelly, or sandy desert soils; intolerant of wet, heavy soils.
- Native range
- Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the southwestern U.S. (Arizona, California, Nevada) and northwestern Mexico; native to the Tucson region.
- Best used as
- Impenetrable barrier and security planting, Native and habitat landscapes, Sculptural accent at a safe distance from walkways, Wildlife habitat
- Wildlife
- High habitat value: cactus wren and other birds nest among the protective spiny joints; woodrats use fallen segments; flowers attract native bees; fruit eaten by some wildlife.
- Toxicity
- Not chemically toxic, but extremely hazardous physically: the dense, barbed spines on detachable joints (the basis for the 'jumping cholla' name) cling fiercely to skin and clothing and are painful and difficult to remove. Keep well away from paths, pets, and play areas.
How to grow Teddy Bear Cholla in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Extremely drought tolerant; survives entirely on rainfall in Tucson once established. Little to no supplemental irrigation needed and overwatering causes rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Not needed and not recommended in native soils.
Pruning & care
Avoid pruning where possible due to the extremely barbed, easily detached joints; if removal is necessary, use long tongs and great caution. Spent segments drop and can root, spreading the plant.
Notes
Backlit silvery-golden spines give it a soft 'teddy bear' look that belies its viciously barbed joints. Reproduces mainly vegetatively from dropped segments, so plant where dropped joints won't be a hazard. An iconic Sonoran Desert cactus around Tucson.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul