Focus on a Native: Pencil Cactus
by CMG Betty J
Although not usually a part of a residential landscape plan because of their aggressive spines, the Pencil Cactus, Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, is an interesting Hill Country native of the Cholla family of succulents. Sometimes also called Christmas Cactus, Christmas Cholla or Tasajillo, it has the most slender stems of all the native Chollas.
Pencil cacti grow as an upright shrub, about 2 ½ feet tall with branches consisting of cylindrical segments that frequently intertwine with neighboring plants to form an impenetrable thicket. When the branches are supported by other plants they sometimes grow as tall as 5 feet. There are two types of spines on the branches: some are 1 to 1 ½ inches long and the others are about 3/8 inches long. Both types are very difficult to remove from the skin. The small leaves fall off early in the growing season. Flowers of the Pencil Cactus are greenish, yellow or bronze and bloom from April through August. The flowers are of special importance to the native bees. The fruits which follow are fleshy red or purple flattened globes and ripen late in summer. When crushed and added to a beverage, the fruit produces a narcotic effect.
Native to the desert regions of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and northern Mexico, these cacti can be found on mesas, flats, valleys and in desert washes. In the Hill Country, they grow at the edge of wooded areas and in open fields. They use very little water and prefer a sunny location. The showy flowers and bright fruits lend a splash of color to a desert setting. If Pencil Cacti are growing on your property, monitor them carefully since they can become invasive and hard to eliminate. They are highly deer resistant.
Pencil Cactus Shrub
Pencil Cactus Stems
Pencil Cactus Flower
Pencil Cactus Fruit
Pencil Cactus Fruit