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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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Escobaria tuberculosa (Whitecolumn foxtail cactus)
Flaigg, Norman G.

Escobaria tuberculosa

Escobaria tuberculosa (Engelm.) Britton & Rose

Whitecolumn Foxtail Cactus, Cob Beehive Cactus, White-column Foxtail Cactus, White Star

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Synonym(s): Coryphantha dasyacantha var. varicolor, Coryphantha strobiliformis, Escobaria dasyacantha var. varicolor, Escobaria strobiliformis, Escobaria tuberculosa var. varicolor, Mammillaria tuberculosa, Mammillaria varicolor

USDA Symbol: ESTU

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Escobaria tuberculosa forms small spherical or cylindrical stems, 2 inches or less in diameter and up to 6 inches in height, which readily branch to create clusters of up to 50 members, all covered in a very dense lattice of short white or grey spines. There are usually between 15 and 40 radials and 5 darker-tipped central spines, longest about 3/4 of an inch; all grow on tubercles, though these are largely or entirely hidden. Pale pink flowers appear at the top of each stem during late spring and summer, between 1 and 2 inches across. The fruits are normally bright red.

Description provided courtesy of The American Southwest.

 

From the Image Gallery

3 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 6 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruits are normally bright red.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug
Bloom Notes: Pale pink or lavender, with pale red centers.

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM , TX
Native Distribution: Extreme southeast Arizona, south New Mexico, far west Texas.
Native Habitat: Grasslands, scrubland, pine-oak woodland; elevations to 6,000 feet.

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-PM-9 Collected 2006-10-03 in Presidio County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 15 - The American Southwest (1994) John Crossley

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-10
Research By: TWC Staff

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