Echinocereus triglochidiatus
| Light | Full sun to bright light; tolerates strong outdoor sun once acclimatised |
|---|---|
| Water | Moderate in spring and summer; keep dry and cold in winter |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Exceptionally cold-hardy; many forms survive hard frost, roughly USDA zones 5–10 |
| Propagation | Offsets (primary) and seed |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Echinocereus triglochidiatus, the claret cup, is a clumping cactus of the western United States and northern Mexico that builds up into broad, dense mounds of short cylindrical stems and crowns itself in late spring with brilliant, waxy scarlet flowers. The blooms are shaped and coloured for hummingbird pollination, and the species is one of the most cold-hardy cacti in cultivation — some high-elevation populations shrug off deep winter frosts. It belongs to the hedgehog-cactus genus Echinocereus.
Description
Echinocereus triglochidiatus is enormously variable across its range, but a typical plant forms a low, rounded mound of many short, ribbed, cylindrical stems, each generally 5–30 cm long and a few centimetres thick. Large old clumps can carry dozens to hundreds of heads. The ribs are relatively few and low, bearing areoles whose spination ranges from nearly spineless forms to plants armed with stout, angled central spines — the epithet triglochidiatus ("three-barbed") refers to the three-spined pattern common in some populations.
The flowers are the great attraction: funnel- to cup-shaped, thick-textured and a deep, glowing red to orange-scarlet, usually 4–7 cm across. Unlike most cactus blooms they stay open for several days and do not close tightly at night. Their tubular claret shape, sturdy petals and copious nectar are classic adaptations to hummingbird pollination. Flowering is followed by rounded, spiny, edible red fruits.
Distribution and habitat
The claret cup is widespread across the American Southwest and adjacent Mexico, from Colorado, Utah and Nevada south through Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas into the northern Mexican states. It grows over a huge elevation range, from desert flats up into pinyon–juniper woodland and rocky montane slopes.
Plants favour well-drained, rocky ground — gravelly slopes, canyon walls, crevices and open scrub — often nestled among rocks or low shrubs that give a little shelter. The species' presence at high, cold elevations is what gives many forms their remarkable frost tolerance. As with all cacti, Echinocereus is listed under CITES Appendix II; nursery-grown plants are widely and legally available, and wild collection should never be undertaken.
Cultivation
This is one of the more forgiving hedgehog cacti and a fine choice for growers in cold climates. Give it a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix and the brightest position you can — full sun outdoors, once hardened off, produces the tightest growth and best flowering. Water regularly through the warm months when the soil has dried, then keep the plant bone dry from autumn onward.
Cold, dry winter dormancy is both tolerated and beneficial: it sets flower buds and, for hardy forms, does no harm even through frost, provided the roots and stems stay dry. The usual killer is wet cold, not cold itself, so the priority for overwintering is excellent drainage and shelter from winter rain or snowmelt sitting on the plant. Frost-hardy forms can be grown in the open ground in surprisingly cold regions; tender low-desert forms are safer with a little protection. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Because the plant naturally clusters, the simplest method is to detach rooted or unrooted offsets from the edge of a clump, let the cut surface callus, and pot them into a gritty mix — see Propagation — offsets and Propagation — cuttings. Seed is also straightforward: sown on a warm, mineral surface and kept humid, it germinates readily, though seedlings are slow to reach flowering size. See Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough.
Common problems
- Rot — the main risk, almost always from a soggy mix or from moisture sitting in the clump over a cold winter; heads soften and discolour from the base.
- Etiolation — too little light makes stems thin, pale and elongated, and discourages flowering.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the areoles and among crowded stems) and red spider mites (fine webbing, bronzed skin) are the usual offenders; dense mounds can hide infestations, so check inside the clump. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Echinocereus — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting
- Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — seed
- Pests and diseases