Engelmann's hedgehog cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii (Parry ex Engelm.) Lem.
Also called strawberry hedgehog.
Clumping small cactus with colourful spines and large magenta flowers in spring. Suits rock gardens and containers.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.2–0.5 m (0–1 ft) tall and 0.3–0.6 m (1–2 ft) wide; slow growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #5 install size.
Bloom
Magenta flowers, Mar–Apr (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engelmann's hedgehog cactus : Mar–Apr |
Design notes
- Rots with summer overwatering; plant in gravelly mounds.
- Fruit is eaten by birds.
Regions
Native range: Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Engelmann's hedgehog cactus
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.