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| ## buckhorn cholla {#buckhorn-cholla .Title-Header}                   |
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| *Opuntia acanthocarpa* Engelm. & Bigelow                              |
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| Plant Symbol = OPAC                                                   |
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#### *Contributed By: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center*

# Uses

*Ethnobotanic*: In the Southwest the Hualapai and Pima harvested the
unopened flower buds of buckhorn cholla with two long sticks. The sticks
were used to grab the mature buds and twist them off into a large flat
basket or bucket. The spines are then removed prior to cooking.
Traditionally the buds were baked in an earthen pit, lined with stones,
and heated with mesquite (*Prosopis velutina*) firewood. Then the buds
were eaten right away or dried and stored for future use. Pima
individuals who had stomach troubles were put on a special diet of these
buds made into gruel. Some individuals still gather buckhorn cholla
today.

*Wildlife*: Many kinds of *Opuntia* species have fruits, seeds, and
stems that are eaten by wildlife. Small mammals that feed on seeds and
fruits include Western chipmunks, pocket gophers, brown gophers, Harris
ground squirrels, prairie dogs, kangaroo rats, skunks, and cottontail
and jackrabbits. Hoofed browsers feed on the vegetable parts and fruits
such as antelope, white tailed deer, and mountain sheep. Upland game
birds such as gambel quail and white-winged doves feed on the seeds and
fruits as well as numerous songbirds such as the wren-tit and the cactus
wren.

# Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status and wetland indicator values.

Description![](media/image2.png){width="2.2909722222222224in"
height="2.1875in"}

*General*: Cactus Family (Cactaceae). The buckhorn cholla is an open and
spreading woody cactus, up to 1 m tall. The gray-green stems, also
called \"joints\", are cylindrical, 5-30 cm long and 17-20 mm in
diameter with tubercles or nodules. Each tubercle has a cluster of stiff
spines, which are covered with loose papery sheaths. The flowers are up
to 5 cm long and range from yellow to purple-red with shades in between.
The fruits are obovoid, dry, shriveled and spiny and drop off later in
the season. The seeds are light yellowish to gray-brown, 3.5 to 4 mm.
long.

# Distribution

For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this
species on the PLANTS Web site. This cactus is found on desert mesas and
slopes in such plant communities as the creosote bush scrub and Joshua
tree woodland. It is in Pima and Pinal Counties of Arizona.

# Establishment

*Seeds*: To establish *Opuntia* *spp.* by seed is a slow process. It
takes up to five years, compared to six months by a stem, and is
therefore not recommended.

*Cuttings*: Break off or cut the stem of the cactus in the spring.
Choose a smaller cylindrical stem with one joint and take the newest
growth, when possible, a complete branch should be taken as the cutting.
Ideally, the cut should be made at the neck where the branch joins the
stem. Place the cutting in an area with good air circulation, in partial
shade for several days or until the cut surface has formed a callus. The
cutting is then planted with its cut surface 3 mm below the surface in
compost that contains little nutrients and placed in partial shade. Keep
the plant slightly moist until roots are established. Once roots are
formed the plant can be potted in a well-drained, sandy soil. Plant the
cactus in a permanent place with full sun outdoors in the fall. Make
sure the soil has excellent drainage. This cactus is intolerant of
frequent summer water and should not be planted near lawns or other
plants that require summer watering.

# Management

To keep the plants in bounds, cut off outermost joints. Prune in late
spring or summer. Use tongs or rolled newspapers to grasp the stems
while cutting with pruning shears.

# Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

This plant is available through some native plant nurseries within its
range Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service
(formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look
in the phone book under "United States Government." The Natural
Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading
"Department of Agriculture."

References

Curtin, L.S.M. 1984. *By the prophet of the earth: Ethnobotany of the
Pima*. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona.

Dobyns, H.F. 1956. *Pre-conquest Hualapai plant food gathering*. An
unpublished report to Marks and Marks, Phoenix, Arizona and Strasser,
Spielberg, Fried and Frank, Washington, D.C.

Keen, B. 1990. *Cacti and succulents*. Crowood Press, Ramsbury,
Marlborought, Wilshire, England.

Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, & A.L. Nelson 1951. *American wildlife and
plants: A guide to wildlife food habits*. Dover Publications, New York,
New York.

Mielke, J. 1993. *Native plants for southwestern landscapes*. University
of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.

Shreve, F. & I.L. Wiggins 1964. *Opuntia.* Pages 960-985 IN: Vegetation
and Flora of the Sonoran Desert Vol. II. Stanford University Press,
Standford, California.

# Prepared By & Species Coordinator

*M. Kat Anderson*

USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center, c/o Plant Science Department,
University of California, Davis, California

Edited: 05dec00 jsp; 29may03 ahv; 05jun06 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
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orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
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*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
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*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Convervation
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