Species library › Cylindropuntia › Cylindropuntia imbricata
Succulents Well documented

Cylindropuntia imbricata

Tree cholla, a tall, branching cholla of high grassland and desert scrub from Colorado and Kansas to central Mexico. It is one of the most cold-hardy cacti and grows best outdoors in full sun with a cold, dry winter.

Cylindropuntia imbricata
Photo: Jared Lincenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open shortgrass prairie, juniper grassland and desert scrub on plains, mesas and rocky slopes.

Records span 368–2,771 m, median 1,653 m.

ArizonaColoradoKansasNew MexicoOklahomaTexasMexico NortheastMexico NorthwestMexico CentralMexico GulfMexico Southwest

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Cylindropuntia imbricata? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 4.0 licence, unmodified.