Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Staghorn Cholla
Staghorn Cholla is a native cholla of southern Arizona with thin, forked branches that look like deer antlers. Its stems are green and often blush red or purple in winter. In spring it blooms in almost any color, from yellow and bronze to red, rose and magenta, depending on the plant. Fleshy fruit stays on the branches for a year or more. It grows about 3 to 8 feet tall and needs very little water.
Best for: native desert yards, open areas and back corners away from paths, where its antler branches, winter color and spring flowers can be seen from a distance.
Its thin, forked branches rise from the ground or a short trunk like deer antlers. It grows about 3 to 8 feet tall in an open native yard.
The stems often turn red or purple in winter. In spring each plant blooms in its own color, anything from yellow or bronze to red, rose or magenta.
The fleshy, nearly spineless fruit stays on the plant for a year or more, and new fruit can grow from the old. Bees visit the spring flowers too.
Its spines grip skin and clothing, and joints can break off when brushed. Keep it away from walkways, pools and play areas. Soil that stays wet rots it.
- Closer planting4 ft apart, center to center
- Wider planting6 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.
Work around it with long tongs and thick leather gloves. If a joint sticks to you, slide a comb between it and your skin and flick it away.
It is hardy to about 10°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 staghorn cholla?
Its thin, forked branches look like deer antlers. Plant it where that shape shows against a wall or the sky.
What color are the flowers?
The color varies from plant to plant, from yellow, gold, bronze and orange to red, rose or magenta. The spring flowers are about 2 inches across.
Why is my staghorn cholla purple?
The stems often blush red or purple, especially in winter. That is normal, so no treatment is needed.
How big does it get?
It usually grows 3 to 8 feet tall and occasionally much taller. Give it open space away from paths.
Are the flower buds edible?
Yes. The flower buds were roasted or steamed and eaten by the Tohono O'odham after the spines were removed. The fleshy fruit stays on the plant for a year or more.
Where should I plant it?
Plant it in full sun, away from walkways, patios, pools and play areas, where people and pets will not brush past it.
How do I remove a joint or spines from skin?
Slide a comb between the joint and the skin and flick it away. Pull leftover spines with tweezers. Take a pet to the vet for a spine in the eye.
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. Keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 10°F. Cover a young plant with frost cloth on a hard freeze night.
Staghorn vs buckhorn cholla: how to tell them apart?
The easiest way is to check the fruit. Staghorn fruit is fleshy, nearly spineless and stays on for a year or more. Buckhorn fruit is dry and spiny and drops after a few months.
Staghorn Cholla for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Staghorn Cholla is a native cholla of southern Arizona, named for its antler-like branches. People plant it for its winter purple color and its bright spring flowers. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, flower colors, placement, 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 staghorn cholla?
It is a native cholla of southern Arizona and Sonora with thin, antler-like branches. Its stems often turn red or purple in winter.
Staghorn cholla flower colors
Each plant blooms in its own color in spring, from yellow, gold and bronze to red, rose and magenta. The flowers are about 2 inches across.
How big does staghorn cholla get?
Plan for about 3 to 8 feet tall, though old plants can grow much taller. It branches wide, so give it open space.
Staghorn vs buckhorn cholla
Staghorn fruit is fleshy, nearly spineless and stays on the plant for a year or more. Buckhorn fruit is dry, spiny and drops after a few months.
How often do you water staghorn 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.
Where to plant staghorn cholla
Plant it in full sun, away from walkways, pools and play areas. Its spines grip skin and clothing.
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.