Cholla (buds)
Cylindropuntia spp.
Pick the unopened flower buds in spring, roast off the spines; a Tohono O'odham spring food.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 6 ft tall, 5 ft wide
Harvest: April to May
From: Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife.
Native to: Desert Southwest. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.
The story
Cholla buds were a spring staple of the Tohono O'odham and Pima, who knocked the unopened flower buds into baskets with sticks, rolled them in gravel to remove the spines, and roasted them in pits; the buds taste of asparagus and artichoke and hold more calcium than milk. Tohono O'odham families still gather ciolim each April.
Planting
Full sun, dry rocky soil, and heat; plant a callused stem segment in spring. It grows into a 6-foot shrub of spiny joints that birds nest in.
Growing
Water rarely, never feed, and keep well clear; the spines jump. Prune with tongs.
Harvest and use
Pick unopened buds with tongs in spring, before they open; roll in gravel or burn off the spines, then boil 20 minutes or pit-roast. Pickle or dry the rest.
What to watch for
The spines, which are the whole caution; nothing else.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home