cholla

noun

chol·la ˈchȯi-yə

: any of numerous shrubby opuntias chiefly of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that have needlelike spines partly enclosed in a papery sheath and cylindrical joints

called also cholla cactus

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A shrubby cactus chiefly of the southwestern United States and Mexico, a cholla has cylindrical joints and needlelike spines partly enclosed in a papery sheath. Chollas vary greatly in size and have small flowers that are sometimes yellow-green and inconspicuous, but usually of more striking colors. One cholla, the desert Christmas cactus, bears bright red fruits through the winter. Living plants serve as food for desert animals. Cholla wood, a hollow cylinder with regularly spaced holes, is used for fuel and decorative novelties. Some cholla fruit is edible.

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At nearly 800,000 acres, Joshua Tree National Park features a whole host of amazing wonders, including Joshua tree (or yucca) forests, enormous rock formations, a cholla cactus garden, bighorn sheep, and tortoises. —

Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2025 Cactuses native to the Sonoran Desert are also represented here, from the cholla cactus to the prickly pear cactus, which some may know only through its namesake margarita. —

Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Cactus spines are not toxic, but getting pierced by a jumping cholla, prickly pear or other cactus spine can be painful and could lead to infection. —

Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 5 June 2024 From summer into fall, berries and cactus fruit, including cholla, saguaro, and prickly pear, become an important part of the diet. —

Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cholla