Say it: eh-ky-noh-SEER-ee-us. Common names: hedgehog cactus, claret cup, strawberry cactus, rainbow cactus.
Where it grows
The southwestern US and Mexico. E. engelmannii (strawberry hedgehog) is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, including the hills around Blythe. E. rigidissimus rubrispinus (rainbow hedgehog) comes from Sonora, Mexico; E. pentalophus (ladyfinger) from south Texas and Mexico; E. morricalii from Nuevo León.
Size and growth
Mostly clumping, with cylindrical stems a few inches thick. Rubrispinus is the showpiece: a single column wrapped in bands of pink, magenta and white spines, which is where the rainbow name comes from. Morricalii is nearly spineless and dark green. Engelmannii forms big mounds of a dozen or more heads. Moderate growth, flowering in 3–5 years from seed.
Flowers and fruit
Among the biggest and brightest in the cactus world: magenta, pink or scarlet funnels 2–4 inches across in spring. The flowers of pentalophus can be wider than the stems. Engelmannii's red fruit is sweet and tastes like strawberry.
Care
- Light: full sun to bright light.
- Water: regular in warm months, dry in winter.
- Soil: gritty, fast-draining.
- Cold: a cold-hardy genus. Engelmannii takes 10°F or lower when dry; rubrispinus and morricalii prefer to stay above about 20°F.
From seed
Easy. Germination in 7–21 days. Rubrispinus seedlings show their pink spines early, which makes them a favorite to raise.
Rainbow hedgehog seeds · Rainbow hedgehog plant · Strawberry hedgehog seeds · E. morricalii seeds · Ladyfinger plant