Teddy Bear Cholla
Cylindropuntia bigelovii
The teddy bear cholla might look cuddly but these cute little cacti drop “cholla balls” that easily stick to shoes and dog paws and legs. This cholla grows in tree like structures about 1-3 feet high and is often surrounded by other cholla that grew as clones from the dropped stems.
This is my husband’s favorite cactus 🙂 They do look sooo cuddly, but I stay far away – I’ve heard tales about jumping cholla (some exagerated, I’m sure) and since I’m not very good at identifying them yet, I avoid all cholla. Not that getting pricked my any cactus is fun…