Common Name:

General Information

Cylindropuntia whipplei is a spiny, evergreen, succulent, shrubby or tree-like plant (very occasionally forming a low mat of growth) that can be sparsely to densely branched; it usually grows 30 - 60cm tall, occasionally to 150cm[].
The plant is harbvested from the wild for loca l use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].
Cylindropuntia whipplei is a very widespread and abundant species that can become a noxious weed in places. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].
Cylindropuntia whipplei can become a noxious weed in over-grazed grassland, it is said that the more it is grazed the better it grows[].

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 - southern Nevada, southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico

Habitat

Temperate grassland and temperate scrub, also in oak, pinyon or pine forest, and juniper woodlands.; at elevations from 900 - 2,300 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

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 fruits have an unpleasant smell[].
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

Stem segments - cooked. Eaten as a vegetable fresh or dried[]. The slender stem sections are 3 - 15cm long and 5 - 22mm in diameter[].

Fruit - raw[, stewed or dried1438]. The fleshy fruit is free of spines[, ]. The yellow to greenish yellow, broadly cylindrical to subspherical fruit is around 18 - 35mm long and 15 - 32mm in diameter[].

Seeds - dried and then ground into a powder[]..

Medicinal

The root is chewed and the juice swallowed as a treatment for diarrhoea[]. Alternatively, the root is crushed then boiled in water and the liquid drunk[].

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.