Flower profile

Club-cholla

Grusonia clavata

Club-cholla (Grusonia clavata) is a shrub in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to New Mexico

Club-cholla is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

2states where USDA records it

1,152NM sightings*

1,152U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: New Mexico

Quick look

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 2 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 1,152 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #38 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (9 records)

There are only a handful of New Mexico flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NN (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 club-cholla in 2 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, New Mexico.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Cibola, Guadalupe, Lincoln, McKinley, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Socorro, Torrance, Valencia.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Opuntia clavata.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 14 counties across 1 states; the most are in New Mexico (14).

More from the Cactaceae family (37 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Saguaro, California barrel cactus, Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Fishhook barrel cactus, Christmas cholla, Silver cholla, Tree cholla.

More New Mexico flowers

Tree cholla

Cylindropuntia imbricata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: May–July

Spinystar

Escobaria vivipara

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: May–July

Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NM

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GRCL.
iNaturalist, Grusonia clavata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Grusonia clavata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Cecelia Alexander via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.