Bigelow "jumping" chollas are single-stemmed members of the cactus family that branch only near the top, and their very dark trunks help to tell them from their near relatives. They don't really jump, but it seems the sharp spines find their way into your skin when you'd swear you never touched a plant. They will form dense colonies, reproducing almost entirely when sections are knocked off a parent plant, and the densest concentrations of Bigelow Cholla in the California Desert are found in the Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness. Here at the northern extreme of the dark and volcanic Sacramento Mountains, Interstate 40 forms the northern boundary. Several large tracts of privately owned land stand within the Wilderness, and the desert tortoise finds this habitat to its liking.
For in depth information about Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness,
please visit their website.
|
|
|
|
