The desert floor just east of San Diego was a stark contrast this spring to the showy display of flowers during 2017’s super bloom. In March, San Diego State University researcher Lluvia ...

One of the most common and iconic plants in our desert is the cholla cactus (Cylidropuntia spp.). It’s also a plant that many people love to hate. So why am I making it my plant of the month? Our ...

Most cacti found in the deserts of California produce large, showy flowers. In fact, I would argue the contrast between impressive blossoms on an otherwise hostile-looking plant is what makes cacti so ...

Our ever-evolving palette of spring color has arrived at a new hue: red. As the season of yellow continues on some hillsides and neighborhoods cloaked with palo verde color, several kinds of cactus ...

Newcomers to the desert are having horrible accidents with cholla. One was a golfer who fell into one making a shot in the rough. Another mountain biker got flipped into major cholla and had to be ...

Ever tried cholla buds? The tiny flower buds of cholla cactus taste like asparagus and are extremely nutritious. A two-tablespoon helping has as much calcium as a glass of milk, and the mucilage they ...