Whipple cholla

Whipple cholla (*Cylindropuntia whipplei*) is an upright cactus native to the interior Southwest. The University of Arizona’s Yavapai County plant profile describes cylindrical, jointed stems, pale yellow flowers in June and July, and yellow fruit; it gives a height of 2–4½ feet and notes that width varies as plants form groups. See [Yavapai County Native and Naturalized Plants](https://yavapaiplants.extension.arizona.edu/cylindropuntia-whipplei) for the regional species account. ## Landscape Use and Size Use Whipple cholla in a sunny, dry garden where its spines and spreading groups have room away from walkways. Its upright stems and changing clump width make it better suited to an open naturalistic planting than a narrow path edge. The Arizona profile gives a height range but no fixed width, so allow space for group growth. ## Flowers and Fruit Pale yellow flowers appear in early summer, followed by yellow fruit. The cactus’s segmented stems and exposed spines are useful identification features, but they also mean the plant should be placed where people and pets are unlikely to brush against it. ## Siting Choose a sunny site with good drainage. The cited regional profile records the species in grassland and pinyon-juniper communities at elevations of roughly 4,500–7,000 feet, supporting its use in appropriate interior-west settings. ## Maintenance Allow space for clump growth and avoid routine handling of the stems. Remove unwanted growth only when necessary, using protective equipment and careful disposal of spiny material. Idaho's BLM Firewise guide assigns score 8 to a broad cholla (*Cylindropuntia* spp.) entry and calls for well-drained soil. This species represents the genus entry; the guide does not independently assess each cholla species or its site-specific fire behavior. ## Yavapai Firewise guidance The source lists cholla under Opuntia without naming a species. Whipple cholla is a scoped representative; Kew lists its former name as Opuntia whipplei. The guide does not independently assess each cholla species. Follow the [Yavapai guide](https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf) for irrigation, placement, and dead-material removal. ## Yavapai County — 2025 source scope and care The [University of Arizona Yavapai County bulletin](https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf), page 1, lists Cholla with the botanical cell Opuntia and form P. It places this entry in its fire-resistant list. The matched catalog name is Cylindropuntia whipplei. Source writes historical Opuntia but common name Cholla narrows to modern Cylindropuntia; Whipple cholla is one narrower representative, not a recommendation for every current Opuntia or cholla. Source form codes: C=groundcover, G=grass, P=perennial, S=shrub, T=tree and V=vine. Printed names and form codes can include source spelling errors or historical taxonomic treatments; the source wording is retained separately from the catalog name and plant-specific habit. The bulletin states that resistant plants require irrigation and frequent maintenance. It describes low shrubs or clean taller shrubs with little dead material. Maintain suitable moisture and spacing, remove dead growth and avoid continuous fuel; a regional list does not establish every selection's performance or local cold hardiness. No plant is fireproof. Keep this Yavapai classification separate from Arizona UA, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and other source ratings and their placement, moisture and maintenance conditions.