Scientific: Echinocereus coccineus (Synonyms: Cereus coccineus, Cereus conoideus, Echinocereus polyacanthus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus var. melanacanthus)
Common: scarlet hedgehog cactus
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Arizona uplands and transition zones, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Mexico (Sonora, Coahuila, Chihuahua)
Pronounciation: E-ki-no-SEER-e-us co-co-NEE-us
Hardiness zones
Sunset 10-24
USDA 8 (with cold protection), 9-11 (in semi arid and arid regions only)
Landscape Use: Cute clumping accent or specimen cactus for formal desert gardens, container culture.
Form & Character: Mounding and clumping, diminuative, compact, interesting, dangerous, yet delicate.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, succulent perennial, very slow growing, clumping and spreading commonly into 20 to 100 loosely aggregated (at lower elevation) or tightly packed (at higher elevation) rounded stems.
Foliage/Texture: Many stems to 16-inches long in length and 1- to 2-inches wide. Stems with 8 to 11 ribs, variable in color from a dull glacous green to a darker green; aeroles with spines mostly undifferentiated between radials and centrals; 0 to 4 centrals, up to 3-inches long; 5 to 20 radials; coarse texture.
Flowers & Fruits:
Simply amazing large, unisexual orange to scarlet red flowers to 3-inches wide. Bright green stigma stands out against the colorful petals. Fruits are greenish or yellowish to pinkish, bright red or brownish tinged when mature, 1- to 2-inches long in length.
Seasonal Color: Spring to early summer flowers, typically late April to early May in Phoenix.
Temperature: Heat loving and cold hardy to 15oF.
Light: Full sun once established and mature. Some filtered shade when young.
Soil: Needs a porous and well-drained soil.
Watering: Generally little to no supplemental water is necessary, though some added water will engorge stem segments giving it a rather 'plump' appearance.
Pruning: None
Propagation: Division of clumps. Also, terminal stem sections after being 'hardened off' can be directly placed into soil.
Disease and Pests: Root rot in poorly drained soil.
Additional comments: Because of its symmetry, scarlet hedgehog cactus is an outstanding small cactus for
formal desert garden settings. Young native-occurring specimens are usually found under the canopies of junipers trees as nurse plants. There are several recognized varieties. The USDA NRCS lists scarlet hedgehog cactus as salvage restricted.
A random taxonomic note: Echinocereus triglochidiatus is very similar in appearance, but usually a bit larger.
