Photos from Arizona 2023

Arguably the cutest looking cactus that we encountered while in Arizona were these guys. Believe it or not, they are called “Teddy Bear Cholla”. 

While I do not personally have first-hand experience with it, I have been reliably informed that they do not feel the same as they look.

I almost feel like I could give this furry looking guy a big hug, but that would NOT be recommended. The soft-looking spines are actually incredible sharp. They also tend to fall off in a “jumping” manner, which has caused this cactus to also be known as the “Jumping Cholla”. You definitely do not want to get too close to this cactus.

The Cholla cactus species have tiny bristles with barbs that face backward, and this makes them quite difficult to take out of human skin.

This guys live to be roughly 30 years old and will grow anywhere from 1 to 5 feet tall.