Coastal Cholla, Jumping Cholla

On Apr 29, 2015, Kell from Northern California, CA (Zone 9b) wrote:

Per Jan Emming owner of the Destination:Forever Ranch and Gardens, a 40 acre desert botanical garden and sustainable living homestead in the Arizona desert with a nursery:

Coastal cholla (Cylindropuntia prolifera) is found in southern California and northwestern Baja, Mexico. True to the common name, it usually grows within about 20 miles of the Pacific Ocean, and frequently right on the dunes or bluffs just inland from the beach or shoreline in a habitat called coastal sage scrub. The species is thought to be of hybrid origin, with the parents being C. cholla and C. alcahes. Oddly enough, the hybrid coastal cholla occupies a significantly different range and habitat type from either one of its parents, tending to grow both closer to the cool marine waters and also farther n... read moreorth than the others. The name prolifera indicates that the primary mode of reproduction is vegetative rather than via seeds, which is common for hybrid chollas of this nature. The population trend for the species in the US is downwards, perhaps the result of wildfires fueled by invasive species and ignited by human activity, as well as development of the remaining habitat. It's still a relatively common plant however, especially in Baja, and it is easy to propagate by fallen joints and cuttings.
I have had good success with them here in Arizona, where they tolerate the extremes of heat and cold that they would never see in habitat. They also appear to be hardier than either parent, as I have had no success growing either C. cholla or C. alcahes here to date. Ironic - but I am happy to have them! The plant shown here is 15 years old and survives on rainfall alone at this point, and has tolerated numerous nights of far below freezing without damage. The rose-pink flowers appear in late April and early May.