Cylindropuntia wolfii

Wolf's cholla

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Wolf's cholla is a California native shrub found in the Peninsular Ranges and western Sonoran Desert in dry places above valley floors at elevations of 300 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces pale purple-brown flowers with striking red to magenta filaments. Growing up to 2 meters tall with several to many trunks and long erect main branches, it forms distinctive columnar shapes with terminal segments up to 40 centimeters long. Its stems feature prominent tubercles 15 to 25 millimeters long and 12 to 22 spines that range from pale to dark brown, creating a dense, architectural appearance. The plant's terminal segments are firmly attached and 2.5 to 4.2 centimeters in diameter, giving Wolf's cholla a robust and sculptural presence in arid landscapes.

Habitat: dry places above valley floors

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 300-1200 m

Bioregions: se PR, w DSon

California counties: Imperial, San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.