What Is Cholla Wood? Cholla Wood is the inner skeleton of a specific type of cacti plant. ... Cylindropuntia plants are a type of cactus commonly referred to as cholla plants. When the plant dies, the green outer layer slowly breaks down, revealing the wood over time.

How do cholla reproduce?

It is a tree-like plant growing to 8 ft tall with cylindrical joints 1 in. in diameter and 3–5 in. ... The fruit drops to the ground when ripe, producing new plants. Cholla also can reproduce from terminal joints that fall to the ground and root when moisture is available.

What cactus does cholla wood come from?

Cholla, (genus Cylindropuntia), genus of about 35 species of cylindroid-jointed cacti (family Cactaceae) native to North and South America and the West Indies. The living plants serve as food for desert livestock, and cholla wood, a hollow cylinder with regularly spaced holes, is used for fuel and novelties.