Pronounciation: E-ki-NOP-sis air-i-es-EE-i

Hardiness zones
Sunset 13-24
USDA 9-11 (in semi arid and arid regions only)

Landscape Use: Spectacular small accent cactus for formal desert gardens, container plant, patio gardens, indoor container house plant.

Form & Character: A refined rounded cactus, fertile (because of the numerous stem branches), surprising.

Growth Habit: A very slow growing small cactus, rounded stems to 6-inches wide, occassionally branching, size ranges from very dimunuative to 15-inches tall with greater spread.

Foliage/Texture: Stems generally rounded to cylindrical, 6-inches wide and 12-inches long, often smaller, solitary to clustering and branched. Stems are medium to dark green to purple tinged when environmentally stressed (mostly cold). Areoles on stem segments are densely arrayed with very short white hairy, matted glochids, generally spineless with age; coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Simply amazing large pinkish to white flowers borne on extended peduncles; fruit inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Spring to early summer flowers, sometimes autumn in Phoenix.

Temperature: Heat loving to 115^oF (above that in full sun and its toast!), cold sensitive, damaged below 27^oF.

Light: Partial western shade to full sun.

Soil: This cactus needs a porous and well drained soil.

Watering: In Phoenix, some supplemental water is ocassionally necessary during driest times of year.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Detachment and rooting of rounded stem segments. Allow stem segments to callus for several weeks before directly sticking into the soil. The cultivar 'Variegata' lacks chlorophyll and must be grafted onto a nurse plant to survive.

Disease and Pests: Root rot in poorly drained soils.

Additional comments: Pink easter lily is an outstanding very small cactus for formal desert gardens. The cultivar 'Variegata' and a crested variety make interesting container novelty gift plants.

Taxonomic factoids: There are 128 species in the genus Echinopsis that range from large and treelike types to small globose cacti. They are found only in South America. This species eyriesii was named after Alexandre Eyries of Le Havre, France.