Practical Uses for Security and Privacy
Apart from being extremely drought tolerant, this is a cactus that serves many practical uses.
If you plant them along your fence, in a few years you will have a fenceline that people do not want to cross or
even get close to.
As farmers and gardeners I do not have to tell you that theft is rampant in California and keeping people out of
your property is very important for economic, legal & safety reasons.
Silver Cholla can provide security, privacy and also serve as a windbreak, all while providing you a food crop,
albeit a small crop if Dry Farming, but still very useful, as many hedges
give nothing in return.
Easy Propagation and Nursery Potential
Silver cholla is also as I mentioned is a California Native and can be propagated from 4 to 6” cuttings very
easily.
That is actually the reason I chose this size to sell as cuttings.
They do not need shadehouses (although it can help when young), they don't need more than weekly irrigation when
in pots and young, and they do not need any special soils or fertilizers.
Why is this important? Well California Nurseries, landscapers, gardeners and homeowners are looking for
California Native plants.
Especially drought tolerant plants that don't require much care, fertilizer or water.
This means you can also take cuttings from your Silver Cholla and propagate them for the plant trade and help
provide Native California plants to consumers.
Each plant can produce hundreds of cuttings when mature, giving you lots to pot up or sell as cuttings, which I
often do as well.
Hardiness and Climate Tolerance
If you are outside of the southwest Silver Cholla also can take slight frost and snow, even tolerating down to
0°F.
It has been grown by clients of mine in over 20 states, so it can tolerate a beating.
Very tolerant of poor soils & high winds.
Edible Flowers and Forage Uses
Silver cholla also provides edible flowers that are quite tasty and sweet.
Perfect for salads. The branches can also be fed raw and de-spined to camels and some goats (like mine that eat
cactus regularly).
If you torch the spines most animals can eat them but it is tedious.
A tip is to roast branches when you are using a firepit and store to give to animals when spines are burned off.
Or grind and silage them for future animal feed.
My goats love them in small quantities, reminding me they can make an excellent forage or silage for very little
effort and water.
Wildlife Resistance
Being covered in spikes, Silver Cholla also is a cactus that will be predated much less by many animals.
Ground squirrels do not eat them unless there is nothing else. Deer stay away from them mostly, gophers ignore
them.
Squirrels go for the ripe fruits only. Jackrabbits love them, which has led me to begin feeding them to my
rabbits with a lot of success.
Coyotes also munch on them so make sure you have a nice chainlink or welded wire fence at least 5’ high to keep
jackrabbits and coyotes out in the desert.
Garden and Container Use
In the garden Silver Cholla is irrigated much more and releases its smell often.
It's a great addition in xeriscape gardens as they don't require much care at
all.
It works well indoors and also in containers, such as on porches or patios.
Their bright spines accent pots very well, my clients love putting them in their offices too.
Final Thoughts
I didn't really like Silver Cholla at first because I would always run it over in my atv on my land and it'd be
a huge issue lol,
but then I relocated many by roads and started to farm it and realized how amazing of a plant it truly is.
If you are looking for a California Native Cactus, a USA native cactus or just a beast of a cactus,
Silver Cholla is your plant.
It just excels everywhere I put it.
My clients and I have many stories of planting a Silver Cholla and forgetting about it for years, only to come
back to a large cactus that seems as if it was cared for by the best farmer haha.
While I know many don't like spines, I hope to have convinced you a little that Silver Cholla
deserves a shot at prospering in your garden or farm, especially if you're in Southern California or
California.
Just remember to use some tongs and gloves when planting, and don't put them next to
roads or pathways. Once in the ground, they are so chill. I hope to see it all over California one day!
Common Questions about Silver Cholla, or Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa
What soil do I use for Silver Cholla?
Silver Cholla prefers well-draining soil, such as sandy or rocky soil commonly found in arid regions. If
you're planting in pots or raised beds, use a cactus or succulent soil mix that ensures good drainage and
prevents root rot.
How do I plant Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa?
To plant Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa, take a healthy 4–6 inch cutting and let it callous over for a few days.
Then plant it directly in dry, well-draining soil. Do not water immediately. Place it in a sunny location
and begin light watering after a week or two to encourage root growth.
How do you utilize the fruit from Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa?
The small fruits from Cylindropuntia Echinocarpa can be mashed or fermented to make jams, spirits, or even
wine. While small, they are flavorful and useful when processed in bulk, offering a unique way to turn a
native cactus into a functional crop.
