Flower profile
Tree cholla
Cylindropuntia imbricata
Tree cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) is a shrub or small tree in the Cactaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–July across the U.S.
Tree cholla is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In New Mexico it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New Mexico
Quick look
Cylindropuntia imbricata, the cane cholla, is a cactus found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, including some cooler regions in comparison to many other cacti. It occurs primarily in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States in the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.
- It belongs to the Cactaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to New Mexico. NatureServe
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 8,178 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #4 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In New Mexico, most flowering sightings come in May–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure 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
- 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 tree cholla in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Lincoln, McKinley, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Union, Valencia.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 68 counties across 6 states; the most are in Texas (30), New Mexico (25), Colorado (5).
Other Cylindropuntia on Bloomipedia (6): Christmas cholla, Silver cholla, Buckhorn cholla, Teddybear cholla, Chain-fruit cholla, Branched pencil 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 New Mexico flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYIM2.
- iNaturalist, Cylindropuntia imbricata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cylindropuntia imbricata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- 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, Cylindropuntia imbricata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.