Scientific name:
Echinocereus stramineus
Common name:
Strawberry hedgehog cactus, straw-colored hedgehog
Range:
The Chihuahuan Desert - south New Mexico and the Big Bend area of west Texas
Form:
Large mounds with 100 or more stems, up to 3 feet across and 2 to 3 feet high
Habitat:
Sunny, gravely or rocky (limestone) slopes, up to 5,000 feet elevation
Flowers:
Deep pink to magenta, 4 inches across when fully open
Distribution map for echinocereus stramineus
Like most echinocerei, the strawberry hedgehog cactus forms large, rounded clusters, with stems rather taller than other varieties (up to 12 inches), covered by longer and more densely spaced spines. There are 2 to 4 central spines (up to 3 inches long) and 7 to 14 shorter radials, all usually white to light brown in color. The cactus produces edible, strawberry-tasting fruits, up to 2 inches long, and is widespread in Mexico but has more limited distribution in the USA. Clumps may be 3 feet across and contain several hundred stems.
Similar species are echinocereus nicholii and echinocereus engelmannii, but the ranges are quite different.
Similar species are echinocereus nicholii and echinocereus engelmannii, but the ranges are quite different.
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