It is the largest of the cholla; other cholla specimens are usually much smaller.
USDA hardiness zones: 8b to 11b: from 15 °F (−9.4 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
Flowers: White and pink, they bloom in mid-summer. How to grow and care: All Opuntias are desert cacti that need lots of sun, lots of light and very little water. If you live in a hot, arid area, these plants can generally be planted outside, left alone, and enjoyed. These cacti will grow just fine in a garden, but they can be grown in pots as well. To repot, ensure the soil is dry, then remove the pot and knock away the old soil. Place the cactus in a new pot and backfill it with potting soil. As with a new cutting, make sure not to water a newly repotting Prickly Pear for a brief period to avoid rotting its roots.
Opuntia can propagate by cuttings. To propagate by cuttings, sever pads from a plant and let them dry so that the wounds heal. Then place the plants in a dry soil and refrain from watering them until they begin to grow to avoid rotting them.
Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz
