Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Christmas Cholla
Christmas Cholla is a small native cholla with pencil-thin green stems. From about November into March it carries bright red fruit, so it looks like a little shrub hung with red ornaments. Small pale yellow flowers open in late spring. It stays about 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, and needs very little water once rooted.
Best for: small native gardens, winter color among desert shrubs, and wildlife plantings for bees, hummingbirds and fruit-eating birds, away from paths.
Bright red fruit hangs on the thin stems from about November into March. Plant it where you will see it in winter.
It stays about 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Plant about 4 to 6 feet apart among other desert shrubs or as a specimen.
Hummingbirds, honeybees and cactus bees visit the small flowers. Quail and other birds eat the red fruit.
Its thin stems hide 2-inch spines and glochids, and it often grows tangled inside other shrubs. Keep it away from walkways and play areas, and plant it where wet soil will not rot the roots.
- Closer planting4 ft apart, center to center
- Among desert shrubs6 ft apart, center to center
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, water about once a month in a summer with little rain, and skip it when rain comes. In winter, water only if rain does not come, and lightly.
Its long spines and glochids are easy to miss on the thin stems. Wear thick leather gloves and use tongs when you plant or trim it.
It is hardy to about 15°F. On a hard freeze night, cover young plants with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take it off in the morning.
Plant it with the side that faced the sun still facing south. A newly planted cactus can sunburn its first summer, so light shade cloth helps until fall.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Why is it called Christmas cholla?
Its bright red fruit hangs on from about November into March, like red ornaments on a small shrub. Plant it where you can see it in winter.
How big does it get?
It usually grows about 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, and it can grow taller when it leans on other shrubs. Give it open space away from paths.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Does it have spines?
Yes. Each spot on the thin stems carries one spine up to 2 inches long plus glochids, tiny barbed hairs. Wear thick gloves and use tongs, and keep it back from paths.
When does it bloom?
Small pale yellow flowers open in late spring, about May and June. They open in the late afternoon and close by dark, so look for them in the evening.
Does it attract hummingbirds and birds?
Yes. Hummingbirds, honeybees and cactus bees visit the flowers, and quail and other birds eat the red fruit.
How often should I water it?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, water about once a month in a dry summer and keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It is rated from about 10°F to 23°F. Cover a young plant with frost cloth on a hard freeze night and keep the soil dry.
Does it need full sun?
It grows in full sun and also takes part sun. A new plant can sunburn its first summer, so light shade cloth helps that first year.
Christmas Cholla for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Christmas Cholla is a small, slender native cholla named for its red fruit that hangs on through the winter holidays. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including size, spacing, winter fruit, flowers, wildlife, handling, water and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is Christmas cholla?
It is a small native cholla with pencil-thin stems. Bright red fruit hangs on from about November into March, which gives it its name.
How big does Christmas cholla get?
Plan for about 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It can grow taller when it leans on nearby shrubs.
How far apart do you plant Christmas cholla?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Christmas cholla for wildlife
Hummingbirds, honeybees and cactus bees visit its small flowers in late spring. Quail and other birds eat the red winter fruit.
How often do you water Christmas cholla in Phoenix?
Water a new plant about every 2 weeks through its first summer. Once rooted, water about once a month in a dry summer and keep it dry in winter.
Christmas cholla winter fruit
The fruit starts green and turns bright red, then hangs on the thin stems through winter. Look for it from about November into March.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.