Cylindropuntia fulgida var. fulgida
Jumping Cholla, Tree Chain Fruit Cholla
OʼodhamTo:ta Hanam
Description
Cylindropuntia fulgida var. fulgida grows on sandy or gravelly plains and alluvial fans at 1000 to 4000 ft. elevation. Stems easily break away, after which the sharp spines attach to animals who carry them away to form new plants. Pink to red flowers appear in late June. Fruit do not detach and eventually form long chains. This species is a critical nesting place for desert birds. Also see Cylindropuntia fulgida var. mamillata and Cylindropuntia bigelovii. This is the more widely distributed of the two subspecies, also extending outside Arizona into adjacent California and New Mexico.
