Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus

Photos by Tobe Lundgren

Doesn't this look soft and fuzzy, like a little huggable teddy bear?  The Teddybear Cholla is anything but huggable.  This tree-like cactus found primarily in the Sonoran desert is common in the driest deserts.  Some cholla are called "jumping" because with even the lightest touch, the entire stem segment breaks off, and sticks to its new host.  Each segment has hundreds of spines, and each spine has hundreds of microscopic barbs that make removal very difficult.  Dogs tend to try to get the cactus out with their mouths, and that puts barbs in their mouth as well as paw.  It is good reason to keep on the trails and carry a fine-toothed comb.   And please do not sit on a cholla!  My husband sat on one on a rafting trip down the Colorado.  Those barbs worked themselves down into his skin, feeling like little bb's.  These coated spine tips came to the surface of the skin randomly over the next seven years.  Ouch!!