Echinocereus polyacanthus (Giant Claret-Cup Cactus, Salmon-Flowered Hedgehog, Spiny Hedgehog )
Botanical Information
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Echinocereus |
| Species | polyacanthus |
| Synonyms | Echinopsis valida, Cereus leeanus, Echinocereus leeanus, Cereus acifer, Echinocereus acifer, Cereus phoeniceus, Echinocereus pacificus, Echinocereus durangensis, Cereus huitcholensis, Echinocereus huitcholensis, Echinocereus matthesianus, Echinocereus mar |
| Category | Tropicals |
| References | http://www.cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Echinocereus&species=polyacanthus |
| Origin | Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 9 - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cool season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H4 - H1c |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°F) | 10 |
| Height | 10 - 15 cm |
| Spread | 8 - 12 cm |
| Growth | Slow |
| Flowering Period | April, May, June |
Description and Growing Information
| Shape | Upright yet mat-forming. |
| Landscape | Indoor or outdoor container or potted plant or as a specimen. |
| Propagation | Division. |
| Cultivation | Plant in loose, well-draining loamy to sandy soils in full sun. Repot annually for optimal growth. |
| Notable Specimens | Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Habitat | Low-lying, dry rocky slopes and plains. |
| Bark/Stem Description | 9 - 13 well-defined ribs, with wooly areoles that contain long thin spines 3 - 5 cm long, arranged in panicles of 5 - 8. |
| Flower Description | Solitary flower that appears at the apex of the plant. Open cup-shaped with lanceolate-rounded petals curling slightly backward. Defined single stamen. |
| Colour Description | Vivid scarlet red flower, deep green to reddish-green succulent flesh, whitish-cream wooly areolae and blackish-brown spines. |
| Texture Description | Smooth, spiny. |
Photographs
Echinocereus polyacanthus, Form