Cactus · Sonoran native
Engelmann's Hedgehog
Echinocereus engelmannii · Cactaceae
Also called: Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus, Strawberry Hedgehog, Saint's Cactus
Engelmann's Hedgehog (Echinocereus engelmannii) is a very low-water cactus native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a slow growth rate.
Engelmann's Hedgehog at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat. Will accept very light afternoon shade in the hottest sites but flowers and color best in full sun.
- Mature size
- 8-18 in H x 12-36 in W (clumping; mature mounds may reach 24+ in across with 5-15+ stems)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Magenta to bright rose-purple (cup-shaped, lasting several days, opening in daytime), Spring (March-April in the Tucson low desert), among the earliest hedgehogs to flower.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 0-10 F (USDA zones 8-10); very heat tolerant.
- Soil
- Sharply drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky/decomposed-granite soils; native to slopes and bajadas. Will not tolerate heavy clay or poorly drained ground. Plant slightly high.
- Native range
- Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico, and Sonora/Baja California, Mexico; common throughout the Tucson basin and surrounding desert mountains.
- Best used as
- Accent / specimen in cactus and rock gardens, Naturalistic and native desert landscapes, Container culture, Pollinator and habitat plantings, Low-water xeriscape groupings
- Wildlife
- Spring flowers attract native bees and other pollinators; the edible red 'strawberry' fruits are eaten by birds, rodents, and other wildlife. Provides cover for small reptiles.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; fruit is edible. Hazard is mechanical only from dense, stiff spines.
How to grow Engelmann's Hedgehog in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Rely almost entirely on rainfall once established. Supplemental water only during prolonged spring/summer drought, roughly once a month in summer and not at all in winter; overwatering and wet winter soil cause rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Generally none needed in native desert soil. If desired, a single dilute application of a low-nitrogen cactus fertilizer in early spring before bloom is plenty; avoid high-nitrogen feeds that cause weak, etiolated growth.
Pruning & care
No pruning required. Remove dead, sunburned, or rotted stems with clean tools and let cuts callus; do not shear.
Notes
One of the most common and reliable native hedgehogs around Tucson. Forms attractive multi-stem mounds. Stems may flush reddish-purple under cold/drought stress, which is normal. Buy nursery-propagated plants; collection from the wild is illegal under Arizona Native Plant Law.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; SouthwestDesertFlora.com