Englemann’s Hedgehog Cactus

Englemann’s Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) is a wonderfully distinctive little cactus that earns its “hedgehog” name from its collection of spiny, upright stems. As it matures, it gradually forms a broad clump that looks right at home among rocks and other low-water plants. Its real showstopper, though, is its spring display: large, vivid pink flowers appear surprisingly early in the season and stand out dramatically against the spiny stems.

This is a great choice for a sunny rock garden, xeriscape, cactus bed, or container where excellent drainage is available. Once established, it asks very little from the gardener and handles heat, drought, and neglect far better than most flowering plants. Give it the kind of lean, well-drained site it would encounter naturally and it can be a long-lived, low-maintenance feature plant with the added bonus of providing food for pollinators and eventually producing colorful fruit.