The ActiveRain Nature Channel: The Jumping Cholla

Although many cactus species have thorns, they really aren't any more thorny or dangerous than the mighty rose, and many cactus (and succulents) have flowers to match the rose while requiring far less maintenance and care.

There are two cactus species that I, and many others, do consider flat-out dangerous. One of them is the Jumping Cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida).

I used to have one of these in my garden, a little one about a foot tall, but after accidentally stepping into it one day and not being able to walk for two years, I decided that it was even too dangerous for me, Mr. Cactus Lover. I figured I would leave it to the professional gardeners, also known as Mother and Father Nature.

The Jumping Cholla gets its name because branches break off very easily when touched, literally seeming to jump at you. When they attach to your clothing, you might as well throw the clothing away, and when they attach to your skin, well, don't let them. That's all I have to say. They are beautiful, especially when they bloom, but they are flat-out dangerous.

The Jumping Cholla is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, and I've found many of them growing in the wild here in the San Diego boondocks. However, I had never seen a "Cholla Garden" until I visited Joshua Tree National Park last weekend to celebrate my first anniversary. The plant does get top heavy, and any branches that fall to the ground will grow into new plants.

In the Cholla Gardens, you can see Jumping Chollas growing to about ten feet tall, hundreds and hundreds of them. There is even a narrow, quarter-mile, dirt path through the Cholla Gardens. Did I take it? Yes I did. Was I extremely careful? Yes I was. I never thought I could make a quarter mile walk last for just over an hour -- ☺☺☺.

Chollas are not endangered because they only grow in environments that are generally inhospitable and inaccessible to developers -- ☺☺☺.

Following are some pictures from the Cholla Garden. If the slide show here doesn't work on your computer, simply click on "View All Images" to watch it at slide.com.

Feel free to leave a comment, and for other programs from The ActiveRain Nature Channel, click here.

 

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