Desert Christmas Cactus

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis

Desert Christmas cactus is a slender, pencil-stemmed cholla studded with bright red berries through winter that birds and mammals relish. A wiry, drought-hardy desert accent.

Family: Cactaceae
Type: shrub
Lifespan: perennial
Height: 1–4 ft
Spacing: 2–4 ft apart
Light: sun
Soil moisture: dry
Soil pH: neutral, alkaline
Bloom: April, May
Bloom colors: yellow, green
Wildlife value: pollinators, songbirds, mammals
Landscape uses: foundation
Native states: AZ, NM, TX