Flower profile
Branched pencil cholla
Cylindropuntia ramosissima
Branched pencil cholla (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) is a shrub in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–October across the U.S.
Branched pencil cholla is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California, Nevada
Quick look
Cylindropuntia ramosissima is a species of cactus known by the common names Diamond cholla and Branched pencil cholla.
- It belongs to the Cactaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California and Nevada. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 8,998 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #102 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,388 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #18 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Native | April–October | 8,998 |
| Nevada | Native | few records (17) | 1,388 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G3 Vulnerable worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records branched pencil cholla in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada.
California counties with USDA records: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Opuntia ramosissima.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 16 counties across 3 states; the most are in Arizona (6), California (6), Nevada (4).
Other Cylindropuntia on Bloomipedia (6): Christmas cholla, Silver cholla, Tree cholla, Buckhorn cholla, Teddybear cholla, Chain-fruit cholla.
More from the Cactaceae family (37 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Saguaro, California barrel cactus, Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Fishhook barrel cactus, Spinystar, Graham's nipple cactus, Mountain ball cactus.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYRA9.
- iNaturalist, Cylindropuntia ramosissima: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cylindropuntia ramosissima (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cylindropuntia ramosissima (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Bobby McCabe via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.