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Tasajillo (Cylindropuntia leptocaulis)

Tasajillo

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, cactus family. Common in West and Central Texas.

At a glance

What
Small red fruit
How
Raw, de-spined
When
Fall into winter
Where
Brush country and dry ground
Value
Sugars

Caution: This 'Christmas cactus' has vicious, easily-detached spines; de-spine carefully before eating. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.

Identification

A thin, pencil-jointed cholla that lights up with bright red fruit around the holidays, giving it its nickname.

Harvesting

The fruit is small but persistent through winter. Burn or scrape off every spine before eating.

Photo: User:Dhileas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Forages well with

Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii)

Prickly Pear

Opuntia engelmannii

Cactus Fruit

Cholla Buds (Cylindropuntia imbricata)

Cholla Buds

Cylindropuntia imbricata

Cactus Cooked

Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.