Dear Leslie:

There are regulations pertaining to native plants here in Arizona. The law mostly involves the transportation and moving of certain types of plants such as ocotillo, saguaro, native barrels, and a few others.

This law requires that land owners purchase a permit, or tag, to move regulated plants off their property. The key word here is “off.” You can transplant these native plants from one area of your property to another, so long as you keep them on your own land.

The regulation does not prohibit destruction of these plants by the land owner, so you are allowed to destroy them on your own property, if you desire. 

I believe these regulations are very helpful when it comes to plant theft. Cacti and plants regulated under the Arizona law will have a tag placed around them with the permit identification number. As long as these plants have these tags, they are safe to transport and move from one property to another. Even with this regulation, some of these plants can be grown in a nursery and do not require a tag to transport. In general, nursery‑grown items are exempt from this law.

The cholla that you see growing in our desert are also protected, although there are enough nursery‑grown species to fill any landscape order.

One of my favorite cholla is the teddy bear. This is also known as the jumping cholla and is the most dangerous of the cholla varieties. This cactus does not actually jump, but rather has very loose connecting tissues that can be knocked off the mother plant by the slightest wind. 

The jumping cholla is not a very good choice for backyards, traffic areas, or areas that are open to children and pets. Jumping cholla have nasty spines with tiny barbs and hooks that dig into your skin or clothing. To make them more hazardous, these spines are covered with a sheath that makes their removal even harder.

When hiking in or around areas where jumping cholla grow, always carry a pair of scissors and tweezers to easily remove the pad from what ever it is attached to.

If you happen to get caught by one of these pads, do not try to shake it off. The spines seem to roll along with your movement and additional connections may pierce your skin. To remove these pads, use scissors to cut away the pad from the spines and then remove each spine with tweezers.

Although it is dangerous when contact is made, the jumping cholla has one of the most brilliant, glistening colors during sunsets or when the sun peaks out after a rain storm. I like this plant for that reason and readily use it in transitional and natural areas. It also makes a good deterrent to unwanted wildlife. I had a customer at the nursery plant it around some of his prize cacti to keep the javelina away.

Some of the other cholla varieties such as staghorn and Christmas cholla are much safer to use closer to the transitional area. These types do no break apart as easily as teddy bear cholla. I suggest visiting a local nursery to check out the various cholla varieties firsthand and ask questions of their sales help to determine which type would be best for your landscape.

Listen to Craig Saturday mornings from 6 to 7 a.m. on KFNX 1100AM am talk radio. And watch for the Carefree Gardener television show this fall on NBC, channel 12. E‑mail landscape questions to www.thecarefreegardener.tv, or fax (623) 742‑7216. Past articles can be found at www.thecarefreegardener.tv.