Cylindropuntia, Whipple's Cactus, Whipple's Cholla 'Snow Leopard'

Per Jan Emming owner of the Destination:Forever Ranch and Gardens, a 40 acre desert botanical garden and sustainable living homestead in ...Read Morethe Arizona desert with a nursery:

This beautiful variant of Cylindropuntia whipplei is named "Snow Leopard" for the glistening white spines. Commonly known as Whipple cholla, this is a plant native to high and cold elevations of the Colorado Plateau from northern Arizona to the Four Corners region from 4500 feet to nearly 7000 feet elevation (1350 - 2250 meters). It takes below zero F freezing and cold, wet conditions with ease, and is one of the only chollas that can be considered reliably hardy across most of the northern half of the US, as well as northern Europe. Most Whipple chollas have yellow to greenish flowers and persistent fruits that cling to the plants for many months after ripening. Joints do not detach without being forcibly cut off, unlike many chollas which fall apart when touched, making them much safer in the average garden since they produce almost no dangerously spiny litter. Mature height is about 4 feet/1.3 meters.

In my first photo, You can see the yellowish-green fruits from last year still stuck to the tips of some stems of "Snow Leopard". They will eventually dry up and drop off now that this current year's crop of flowers has appeared..

In my 3rd photo, note the teddybear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) also in bloom behind the "Snow Leopard" cholla, and how the stems and spines differ in appearance.