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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Echinocereus stramineus (Strawberry hedgehog cactus)
Loughmiller, Campbell and Lynn

Echinocereus stramineus

Echinocereus stramineus (Engelm.) F. Seitz

Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus, Pitaya

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonym(s): Echinocereus enneacanthus var. stramineus

USDA Symbol: ECST2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Pitaya has many large spines. It has 11-13 ribs with fairly deep furrows between them. They tend to cluster, sometimes forming large, compact clumps with 100 or more stems. These larger clumps are rounded, often 2-3 feet across and nearly as high. Stems are about 10 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches in diameter. The purple-red flowers are 4-5 inches tall and 3-4 inches across. They are dark red at the base, fading to rose at the tips. The inner petals are toothed. The 10-15 outer petals have pink edges.

 

From the Image Gallery

26 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Individual stems up to about 10 inches long. Clumps up to about 3 feet tall.
Flower: Deep pink to magenta, 4 inches across when fully open.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Bloom Notes: Diurnal.

Distribution

USA: NM , TX
Native Distribution: The Chihuahuan Desert - south New Mexico and the Big Bend area of west Texas.
Native Habitat: Sunny, gravely or rocky (limestone) slopes, up to 5,000 feet elevation.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Conditions Comments: minimum temperature 50 F.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-PM-2 Collected 2006-07-29 in Presidio County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 1140 - Cacti (1991) Clive Innes and Charles Glass
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Webref 15 - The American Southwest (1994) John Crossley

Additional resources

USDA: Find Echinocereus stramineus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Echinocereus stramineus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Echinocereus stramineus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-07
Research By: TWC Staff

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