Common Name: Pencil Cholla

General Information

Cylindropuntia arbuscula is a spiny, evergreen, succulent much-branched shrubby or tree-like cactus, sometimes with a thick woody trunk and with a dense crown; it can grow 80 - 300cm or more tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].
Cylindropuntia arbuscula is a widespread and fairly common species with no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

The plant has numerous minutely barbed glochids - these are barbed spines that are usually small to minute and are very sharp and brittle. The glochids are very easily dislodged when the plant is touched and can penetrate the skin where, because of their barbs, they become stuck and are very difficult to see and remove. They can cause considerable irritation and discomfort[, ].
Opuntia species can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, especially in older parts of the plant. Perfectly alright in small quantities, foods containing oxalic acid should not be eaten in large amounts since it can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[, ].

Botanical References

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Range

Southwest N. America - Arizona, northern Mexico (Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua).

Habitat

Mostly in sandy loam soils of valley bottoms and bajada plains, and sometimes along the margins of arroyos.; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cylindropuntia arbuscula is sensitive to frost[].
In cultivation, Cactus plants generally will not succeed in moist climates. They usually require a sunny position in a well-drained, circumneutral soil and to be kept more or less dry in the dormant season[].
The fleshy fruits are often produced in large quantities, with one or often several fruits at a stem tip, the fruits often persistent for about 1 year,[].
The outer wall of the fruit is actually formed from stem material and, in many species of Cylindropuntia, once detached from the plant will form roots and grow into a new plant. This is often the main way in which a plant will reproduce[]

Edible Uses

Fruits - raw or cooked[]. They are used locally to make a drink[]. The spine-free fruit is yellow-green or green even when ripe, though sometimes with a slight reddish or yellowish tinge; it is around 23 - 28mm long and 10 - 12mm in diameter, sometimes enlarging with age[, ],

The flower buds and young stem sections - cooked[]. A somewhat sour flavour[]. Harvested in spring, they were traditionally pit-baked then eaten or dried for later use[].The stem sections are green, sometimes purple tinged, around 60 - 105mm long and 5 - 13mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a very well-drained compost in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from winter wet. Make sure you have some reserve plants in case those outdoors do not overwinter.
Cuttings of leaf pads or fruits at any time in the growing season. Remove a pad from the plant and then leave it in a dry sunny place for a couple of days to ensure that the base is thoroughly dry and has begun to callous. Pot up into a sandy compost. Very easy, rooting quickly.