Teddy Bear Cholla                                                                                                 Jumping Cholla

The Cholla (pronounced choy-a) are beautiful and if not careful they can cause a lot of pain.

There are many different types of cholla (35 species) such as teddy bear cholla and  jumping cholla which are cousins to each other.

Although they look cute and furry the cholla can be painful because they  have pads that separate themselves from the plant and stick to anything that walks past: an animal, your clothing or your skin, giving the impression that they jumped.

Cholla are found in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. The pictures above were taken in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona.