Tsankawi Trail Stop 13

images of a tall thin spiny cactus with hot pink flowers — Cane or Walking Stick Cholla
Photo by Sally King

Stop 13: Look around the pueblo. Do you notice the almost complete absence of trees within the village? On the periphery of the settlement, one-seed junipers are common. Only a single large juniper invades the sanctity of this community. Other plants are prevalent including Cane Cholla (Opuntia imbricata), Four-winged Saltbush (Atriplex canescens), and Pale Wolfberry (Lycium pallidum). These three plants are considered camp followers, encouraged by the Ancestral Pueblo people to grow in proximity to their villages but not technically cultivated or farmed. Cane cholla has edible flowers and fruits as does wolfberry. The seeds of the saltbush are ground into a mush that can be baked into a nutritious cake.

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