Echinocereus stramineus
| Light | Full sun; brightest possible position for compact growth and flowering |
|---|---|
| Water | Sparingly in the growing season; keep dry and cool in winter |
| Soil | Very gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Hardy to hard frost when dry; USDA zones 7–11 |
| Propagation | Seed; division of established clumps and rooting of offsets |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Echinocereus stramineus is a clumping hedgehog cactus of the Chihuahuan Desert that builds up into large, dense mounds bristling with long, translucent, straw-coloured spines. In spring it is smothered in big, glossy magenta flowers, and later produces round, spiny fruit whose flesh is edible and famously reminiscent of strawberries — the source of its common names strawberry hedgehog and strawberry cactus. It belongs to the genus Echinocereus.
Description
Echinocereus stramineus is strongly clustering, in time forming rounded mounds that can hold dozens to well over a hundred heads and reach a metre or more across in old habitat plants. Each cylindrical stem is soft green but almost entirely hidden beneath its spination. The areoles carry many slender, flexible spines that are pale straw-yellow to whitish and often nearly translucent, catching the light so that a large clump can appear to glow — a distinctive feature of the species.
The flowers are among the showiest in the genus: large, funnel-shaped and a vivid, glossy magenta-pink, opening over several days in spring and staying open into the night. They are followed by rounded, spiny fruit that ripen to a reddish colour and eventually shed their spines. The pinkish pulp is juicy and sweet with a genuine strawberry-like flavour, long gathered as a wild treat within its native range.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, ranging across western Texas and southern New Mexico in the United States and well down into north-central Mexico. It is a plant of rocky slopes, gravelly flats and limestone outcrops, where it grows in full, unbroken sun in extremely sharp-draining ground. In these open, exposed sites the massed pale spines help shade the stems and reflect the intense desert light.
Cultivation
Echinocereus stramineus is a rewarding plant for a sunny spot but insists on excellent drainage and plenty of light. Grow it in a very gritty, mostly mineral mix and give it the brightest position you can; shortage of light quickly spoils the tight habit and the dense spination. Water thoroughly during warm weather once the mix has dried, then let it dry out again — see Watering for general technique.
Like many Chihuahuan Desert hedgehogs it is notably cold-hardy provided it is kept dry: with a dry winter rest it tolerates hard frost and is grown outdoors year-round in colder rock gardens. The enemy is winter wet, which causes rot, so keep it bone-dry and cool through the dormant months. As clumps grow large, move them up carefully at Repotting time — the long spines make big plants awkward to handle.
Propagation
Seed is straightforward: sow on a warm, gritty surface kept lightly humid until the seedlings establish, as described in Propagation — seed. Because the species clumps so freely, it is also easily increased vegetatively by lifting an established mound and dividing it, or by detaching individual heads and rooting them once the cut surface has callused; see Propagation — offsets and Propagation — cuttings.
Common problems
- Rot — the main risk, caused by wet soil (especially in winter) or a mix that holds too much moisture; heads soften and discolour from the base.
- Etiolation — too little sun makes stems stretch and pale and reduces flowering, ruining the compact mounded form.
- Pests — mealybugs love to hide among the dense spines and at the crowns, and root mealybugs can go unnoticed at the roots; see Pests and diseases.
See also
- Echinocereus — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting
- Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings