Teddy Bear Cholla

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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby surfsteve » Fri Oct 28, 2016 9:58 am

I've been stuck by jumping cactus before and they are no fun. The guy may have been exaggerating a bit but not entirely. Also there are two species that look identical. They both have thorns but only one of them “jumps”. The only way I can generally tell them apart is that the jumping cactus are smaller and usually have a pile of ears that fell off at the bottom. Maybe somebody can google it but I suspect that the “Teddy Bear” Cholla is the one that doesn't jump. I've heard rumors that cowboys have actually shot themselves rather than endure the pain when they fell off their horse into a pile of jumping cactus. Probably not true but a good indication of how painful they actually are.
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby surfsteve » Fri Oct 28, 2016 10:40 am

Cholla Pet!
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby JanuaryJones » Sat Oct 29, 2016 7:55 am

Jumping Cholla Cactus
Some interesting information although some of it sounds a little inaccurate, embellished, or exaggerated.
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby camel » Thu Aug 17, 2017 8:27 am

Cholla cactus is an attractive plant, but I don't recommend it as a landscape plant, especially if you have kids. Inevitably someone winds up getting a piece of the plant stuck to them and it's usually a painful task to pull the thing off. Cholla in the yard is something that will eventually become a problem one way or the other or at least I've heard too many stories to support that conclusion not to believe it.
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby Cactus Jack » Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:53 am

Cholla is great to include in a cactus garden, but I wouldn't mix it with ordinary landscape plants. It may be difficult to deal with, but it can work in certain settings. Probably not so much around children, but the whole world does not have to cater to children.
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby twister » Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:37 am

Cactus Jack: No the whole world shouldn't cater to children, but anyone can get a cholla pad stuck on them. It's a problem waiting to happen and there are plenty of cactus that work better as landscape plants. Not hating on the chollas, but they are a hassle especially if you decide to remove them from your garden or have to pick up the fallen pads. Transplanting a cholla is almost out of the question. It's just too much of a hassle!
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby wildrose » Fri Nov 09, 2018 7:31 am

TRANSPLANTING CHOLLA: It can be done, but it requires some careful maneuvering. The easiest method is to fold newspaper lengthwise and wrap it around the base of the plant in order to avoid the spines. It's a little awkward, but not too difficult unless you're dealing with an extra large cactus plant.
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby shadylady » Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:19 am

wildrose: I wouldn't even try to transplant a large cholla! It's hard enough to remove them. No matter how careful you are you're bound to get stuck more than a few times. Some species and varieties are worse than others. The local native species is the worst! Go with the Texas natives for better flowers and less persistent spines!
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby CactusHugger » Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:43 am

RabbitSide vs Jumping Cholla Cactus
Great technique!!! :thumb:
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Re: Teddy Bear Cholla

Postby cactusman » Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:28 am

CactusHugger: Great use for old tires. Looks reasonably good and it makes the whole process a little easier. Maybe more people should consider cholla in their yards!
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