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Christmas Cactus

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis

Other common name(s):

Christmas Cholla, Pencil Cactus, Christmas Cholla, Desert Christmas Cactus

Family:

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Llano Uplift
Coastal Sand Plain, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley
Canadian/Cimarron High Plains
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Cactus & Succulent

Height

2
to
5
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Gravelly

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Bees

Maintenance

Grows well in gravelly, sandy and heavier bottomland soils under full sun. Has low water requirements. Once established, the plant is very drought-tolerant. Give room to spread.

Comments

Blooms April-August. This is a 2-5 ft., upright, shrub-like plant with many spiny branches made up of slender, cylindrical joints. With age the branches and trunk develop a scaly bark and turn pale tan. Leaves are very small, falling early in the growing season. Flowers are greenish, yellow, or bronze. Round, red or purple fruit, form in the summer and cling to the stem into winter. Native Habitat: Mesas, flats, valleys & washes in deserts. Attracts birds, pollinators and especially native bees. Highly resistent to deer.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s Opuntia leptocaulis

References

1) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CYLE8, 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=6604&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 3) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=907718#null, 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Cylindropuntia+leptocaulis&formsubmit=Search+Terms, 5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylindropuntia_leptocaulis

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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