Cholla Garden Maze

Pink cactus flowers blooming on green cactus pads with sharp spines, against a blue sky.

The name cholla, pronounced chaw-yah meaning round or head, was created from about 1855 to 1860. The word came from an old French term meaning ball, originating from Germanic origin.

The meaning reflects any of the many spiny, cylindrical cacti of the botanical genus Cylindropuntia.

A desert scene with a large cactus surrounded by rocks and sparse vegetation under a partly cloudy sky.
Close-up of a yellow and orange cactus flower in bloom, with visible stamens and pistil, surrounded by cactus pads with spines and buds.

At one time, the cholla were included within the genus Opuntia but were reclassified to reflect their cylindrical stem growth and appearance. Also included in this garden you will find the very lower growing Grusonia. The genus Grusonia are commonly known as club cholla or dog cholla, mainly because of their stem shape and lower growing habit. Many plants are known to have common names.