JUMPING CHOLLA (Opuntia fulgida)
And so the greeters of the desert, advance guard of the cactus invasion from Mexico, see us depart now for a time from the mysterious land of the Fantastic Clan, wherein we have learned of the charm of color, and the strange devices of Nature in her scheme of Cholla growth; and where the fierce, uninviting heat of the desert fails to keep us from entering that domain of silence where the midday sun burns all to a crisp under the relentless bombardment of its energy, which after all gives alluring beauty to the wondrous cactus flowers; and where the cooler shades of evening loose the mild zephyrs that kiss our parched brows and gently lull us to sleep at night with moonbeams playing at random among the cañon shadows, gossamerlike and eerie in the ghostly light of the stars. And once again in fancy we behold these armored Cholla, silent fortresses of the desert, looming against the mountain sides, with their beautiful rainbows of gorgeous hue blossoming forth but to fade and die, never to appear anew in their shimmering colorful sheens of glory against background of sheaths and terrible thorns, the swords of the fierce Cholla group.
Then comes the dawn. Slowly the eastern rim of the landscape is bathed in soft pearly light, haloed over the mountains. The night has passed and another day is on, and we, too, have passed on and left the strange alluring land of the weird Cholla group; but the beauty we have found out there among fierce relentless growths lingers on in the background of our conscious minds, and we wonder how it came there and why it is; after all is it not part of the glory that God has given us to use and to try to understand?
The Cholla Group, or Cane Cacti (Cylindropuntia)
How to identify and how they grow
The Cholla has a fierce armor of thorns, long and stout, sharp and dangerous, a group of Cholla on the mesas comprising a veritable fortress of the desert. These spines are of one kind but of different sizes, and they are sheathed. On account of their sheathed thorns the Cholla are the most dangerous of all the cactus groups, and feared most of all Cactaceæ. The spines vary from an inch or less to three inches or more in length, and occasionally are half an inch or more through. The stems of these species are cylindrical, from a foot or less to fifteen feet tall, the branches generally forming into a broad rounded head. They are not ridged or fluted, but are covered with tubercles arranged spirally. The plants are often grotesque and generally resemble dwarf trees, though typically shrubby in habit. The leaves are scalelike and soon fall off. Spicules are always present, generally half an inch or so in length, easily dislodged, so easily blown off by the wind that two species of this genus are called “Jumping Cholla.” The flowers are showy and very conspicuous, large, and of all colors of the rainbow in many instances; opening and closing on the same day and at different hours in different species, rarely appearing the second day. A peculiar phenomenon is observed: the flower buds sometimes grow out from mature fruit, thus producing chains of fruit lasting for years. The fruit varies in character and is found to be tubercled or smooth or shiny, but always bearing the customary spicules. It is sometimes dry, sometimes fleshy, often remaining unchanged and edible for several years on the plants. Another curious fact is that the fruits of many species when planted in soft moist soil, or even falling to the ground, develop roots and grow into new plants, the seeds within remaining viable and capable of growth later on.
SPINY TREE CHOLLA (Opuntia spinosior)
How to grow
Most species grow readily from cuttings of one to several joints set a few inches deep in sandy soil and given enough water to keep the soil moist; it is better to allow the cut surfaces time to dry before planting. Plants can be grown also from seed planted a half-inch deep in sandy soil out of doors or in flats, with part shade and watered enough to keep the soil moist but not wet. Also, the fruits of many species when planted in moist soil develop roots and grow into plants. Cuttings or plants grow indoors or outside. A south exposure is preferable.