Echinocereus

( ek - in - oh - SEER - ee - us )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Hedgehog Cactus, this genus of Cacti includes species which need full sun and little to moderate water to perform well in the garden. There are about 50 species grown in the southwestern United States and northern areas of Mexico. Some can even do well in high-elevation zones in Colorado and Utah. They have clumping habits and produce fleshy fruits (some of which are edible) that follow brightly colored flowers. These Cacti are used mainly in desert or mountain gardens, and also do well in rock gardens amongst other low-water use plants. Echinocereus cacti can also do very well in containers. Take care when planting these interesting cacti in the landscape, as they are highly valuable and heavily poached. These plants also produce very sharp spines which can puncture clothing and skin.

Echinocereus Species and Varietals

Echinocereus is a genus in the plant family Cactaceae and includes around 70 distinct species of Cacti. Hedgehog Cactus growing zones vary depending on the species. For more information, read the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Echinocereus bakeri (Baker Kingcup Cactus)
This species is native to the southwestern United States and typically forms small clumps of dark green shoots up to a foot tall. Spines are yellow-brown and mature to grey-whitish. Flowers are bright reddish to orange-red and bloom just below shoot tips. The species is named for its original collector, Marc A. Baker.

Echinocereus berlandieri (Berlandier's Hedgehog Cactus, Berlandier's Alicoche)
This species is native to an area that spans most of southern Texas as well as some areas of Northeastern Mexico. It grows with many shoots and forms clumps up to just over three feet wide. They can reach up to 2 feet tall, and produce yellow to dark brown outward-facing spines. Flowers are broadly funnel-shaped and bright pink to reddish-purple, appearing just below the tips of shoots. The specific epithet honors the plant collector Jean-Louis Berlandier. Best in USDA zones 8-10.

Echinocereus bonkerae (Bonker Hedgehog, Short-Spined Strawberry Cactus, Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus)
This species, native to grasslands and chaparral shrublands in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, forms loose groups of green cylindrical shoots. Individual plants typically reach up to 8 inches tall and produce white to grey spines. Flowers are magenta to red-purple, followed by fleshy green fruits that turn red when ripe. The species is named for botanist and author Frances Bonker and does well in USDA hardiness zones 9a-11b.

Echinocereus dasyacanthus (Texas Rainbow Cactus, Spiny Hedgehog Cactus)
This species of Hedgehog Cactus is named for its subtle rainbow rings or bands of contrasting colors along the stems of some plants. Flowers are typically golden yellow. Individual plants grow as a single stem (or sometimes with 2-3 basal branches) and produce overlapping brown-tan spines and obscuring stems. Fruits are green and mature to purple with white to purplish flesh. These cacti grow well in USDA hardiness zones 6-10.

Echinocereus engelmannii (Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus, Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus, Hedgehog Cactus, Strawberry Cactus)
Grows best in USDA hardiness zones 8a-11b or Sunset growing zones 2, 3, 7 and 10-24 and forms clumps 1-2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Stems are topped with lavender-purple-red flowers 2-3 inches wide. Edible fruits are about an inch long and red. This species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent areas of Mexico.

Echinocereus fendleri (Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus, Fendler's Hedgehog Cactus)
This species is named for botanist and plant collector Augustus Fendler, and is native to the southwestern United States and northeastern Mexico. These Cacti grow as a single stem, though they can form clumps. They reach up to a foot tall when mature and produce brown to white spines. Flowers are showy and emerge in shades of pink. Fruits that follow are spherical and red when ripe. Plant flesh was consumed by Native Americans. Best in USDA zones 6-10.

Echinocereus poselgeri (Dahlia Cactus, Dahlia Hedgehog Cactus, Lead Pencil Cactus, Pencil Cactus, Pencil Hedgehog Cactus, Sacasil, Wilcox Cactus, Dahlia Pencil Cactus, Zocoxochitl)
This species of Echinocereus is native to Coahuila, Mexico and Texas, United States, and grow well in USDA hardiness zones 8a-11b. Individual plants grows to produce several spreading shoots and a tuberous rhizome root. Individual stems are dark green and slender, reaching up to 24 to 50 inches tall at maturity. Flowers are pink to magenta and fruits that follow are egg shaped and thorny.

Echinocereus reichenbachii (Lace Cactus, Hedgehog Cactus, Black Lace Cactus)
This species is native to the southern United States and the Chihuahuan Desert in northern Mexico. Stems are cylindrical and green, clothed in light tan to whitish spines that obscure their dark green color. Flowers are pink or purple and bloom from early May to late June in the plant's native range. These plants can reach up to about a foot tall at maturity and can be solitary or multi-branched. Best in USDA zones 4-10.

Echinocereus rigidissimus (Arizona Rainbow Cactus, Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus)
These plants are native to Arizona and New Mexico (United States) as well as Chihuahua and Sonora (Mexico). Individual plants reach up to about a foot tall when mature. They rarely form clumps, and produce spines that are red-magenta when new and fade to yellow or light pink. Flowers are bright pink with white centers. This species grows well in USDA hardiness zones 9a-11b.

Echinocereus scheeri (Scheer's Hedgehog Cactus, Dangling Hedgehog Cactus, Cucumber Cactus)
This species has a unique growth habit, often forming a somewhat shrubby plant that is great for hanging baskets and containers. It grows to reach up to 2 feet tall and produces green shoots that are tapered towards their tips. Flowers are typically orange-red but can also be pink to scarlet. Spines are white to brownish. The specific epithet honors the plant collector and trader Frederick Scheer.

Echinocereus stramineus (Strawberry Cactus, Porcupine Hedgehog Cactus, Straw-Color Hedgehog, Pitaya)
This clump-forming species is native to New Mexico and Texas in the United States as well as northern Mexico. It forms a clump of green shoots clothed in outward-facing spines that age to white-silver. A single plant can have up to 150 shoots, though most typically form between 10 and 50. Flowers are reddish-pink and bloom from late March through May in the plant's native range.

Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup, Kingcup Cactus, Red-Flowered Hedgehog Cactus, Mojave Mound Cactus)
This cactus grows best in zones 2, 3, 10-14 and 18-23. It forms a dense clump 3 feet wide with many stems that top out at about a foot tall. Flowers are orange to red, and inedible fruit follows. The species is native to the southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico, where it grows in mountain woodland, scrub, and low desert landscapes. It is the official state cactus of Colorado.

Echinocereus viridiflorus (Nylon Hedgehog Cactus, Green Pitaya, Small-Flowered Hedgehog Cactus)
This is the type species of the genus, and is native to the south-central United States and northern Mexico where it is found growing in desert scrub, woodland, grassland and prairie habitats. Individual plants can have a spherical to cylindrical shape and reach up to a foot tall. They do not always form clumps. Spines can be red, white, purple, or bicolored, sometimes with darker tips. Flowers are yellow, brown, greenish, or red with darker red midribs. Fruits that follow are green and heavily spined.

Caring for echinocereus

Take care when planting these interesting cacti in the landscape, as they are highly valuable and heavily poached. These plants also produce very sharp spines which can puncture clothing and skin. Plant these Cacti in a space in the landscape that receives full sun; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best overall growth. Ensure that soil is very well-draining and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral or slightly alkaline). Echinocereus like a soil that is amended with plenty of sand and perlite to improve drainage. Apply a layer of rock mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention.

These Cacti appreciate a 'soak and dry' watering method. Water thoroughly when the soil is completely dried out during the growing season in spring and summertime. When plants are dormant in fall and winter, they should not be watered. They do not need to be fertilized, and rarely need pruning, as they are low-maintenance, slow-growing, and maintain their shape naturally. They typically thrive on neglect. Pruning is only necessary to remove dead or diseased sections due to root or crown rot. Damaged spines and spent flowers can be removed at any time during the growing season (spring or summertime). Avoid cutting into healthy, green flesh as this can damage the plant and invite insect and disease to take hold. Echinocereus cacti can survive for between 30 and 50 years or more in the landscape before needing to be replaced.

Caring for Echinocereus in Containers
These Cacti are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers. This allows for growers in cooler climates to care for these warm-weather plants correctly; they should be brought indoors or into a greenhouse environment when outdoor temperatures drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Choose a pot that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a dry, very well-draining soil (peat amended with plenty of sand and perlite is typically sufficient), and top with a layer of rock mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Place the container in a space that receives full sun; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best overall growth. These Cacti appreciate a 'soak and dry' watering method. Water thoroughly when the soil is completely dried out during the growing season in spring and summertime.

When plants are dormant in fall and winter, they should not be watered. They do not need to be fertilized, and rarely need pruning, as they are low-maintenance, slow-growing, and maintain their shape naturally. They typically thrive on neglect. Pruning is only necessary to remove dead or diseased sections due to root or crown rot. Damaged spines and spent flowers can be removed at any time during the growing season (spring or summertime). Avoid cutting into healthy, green flesh as this can damage the plant and invite insect and disease to take hold. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

There are two main ways to propagate Echinocereus: by offset and by seed. The easiest way is through offset because it requires the least amount of disruption to the parent plant and ensures that you will get an exact clone, which is something not guaranteed by the seed propagation method. Peruse the propagation methods for Echinocactus below:

Propagating Echinocereus by Division
The easiest way to propagate Echinocactus is by identifying and dividing clumps and replanting the divisions. To propagate your Echinocereus by offset, you'll need a clean trowel and a pot filled with soil half amended with gritty sand (or filled with cactus/succulent mix). Once you've gathered your materials, follow these steps:

Loosen the soil around the bottom of your Cacti where the offset has formed and locate its connection to the parent plant. Cut it from the parent plant with a sharp, clean trowel or knife. Take care to not damage the offset or the parent plant during this process.
Then, place the offset in a shaded, dry area that receives good ventilation for a few days until it forms a callous where it was cut from the parent plant.
Plant your offset in a pot filled with potting mix and lightly moisten the soil, ensuring that adequate drainage is occurring. Place the container in an area that receives bright light and stays relatively warm.
Water every time the top inch or two of soil dry out, but don't saturate the soil. After a few weeks of this watering schedule, the offset should be ready to be planted outside in its permanent home. Then, follow the instructions in the care section to grow your pup into an adult plant.

Propagating Echinocereus by Seed

Gather your materials and fill your pot with potting mix amended with plenty of sand and perlite (to increase drainage). Place the seeds on top of the soil about a centimeter apart, and cover them with a layer of coarse sand.
Water the seeds, being careful to not disturb their placement under the sand. Keep the seeds moist but not wet as they germinate, which should happen in 1 to 3 weeks' time. The pot or tray should be in an area that receives bright indirect light. It is important to attempt to germinate more than a few seeds, as it is likely that not all seeds will germinate successfully. After most of the seeds have germinated, increase ventilation and provide the seedlings with good light, but not direct sunlight. About five weeks after germination, cut watering to about once a week, allowing the soil to dry out in between waterings. Do not provide water if the soil is still moist.
Harden off seedlings by placing them outdoors for increasing amounts of time over a few weeks so that they do not experience transplant shock when they are planted in their forever home outdoors. Once established in the landscape, return to regular care guidelines above.