Flower profile

Branched pencil cholla

Cylindropuntia ramosissima

Native in the lower 48

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–November.

3states

2of our state lists

10,956U.S. sightings*

*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.
From Wikipedia's article Cylindropuntia ramosissima, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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–November. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 8,998 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #102 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,388 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #18 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist

Branched pencil cholla gift ideas

Handmade branched pencil cholla gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Branched pencil cholla sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (286 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	April–November	8,998
Nevada	Native	few records	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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

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.

More California flowers

California barrel cactus

Ferocactus cylindraceus

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–May

Beavertail pricklypear

Opuntia basilaris

Native

🌼 Blooms: March–May

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July

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.