These beautiful Echinocereus cacti come in a wide range of shapes and colors. Some species form round, spiny mounds (thus the common name "Hedgehog"), while others develop thin, rambling stems. The flower buds of these succulents form inside the stems, bursting out near the stem tips in late spring and early summer. Large flowers open completely in full sun and come in an array of colors such as yellow, orange, red, pink, purple and white.

These cacti are suitable for growing in containers in a greenhouse, on a patio or as landscape plants in regions where the minimum temperature does not fall much below freezing. Though they flower best if kept at a temperature of about 50º F in the winter, some species (e.g., E. engelmannii) can survive light frost.

A good website for more information and photographs is:
www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Echinocereus.html.