Cacti, Succulents and other Xeric Plants
in the
Colorado State University Extension Demonstration Garden
Grand Junction, Colorado
Garden Established & Maintained by the Chinle Chapter
of the Colorado Cactus & Succulent Society

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Claret Cup - Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Narrative by Judy Kennedy; Photographs by David Kennedy

This native's range is from southeastern California to southwestern Texas and northern Colorado to southern Arizona. Its many names - Claret Cup, Strawberry Cactus, or King's Crown Cactus - indicate a large and diverse family of plants of which eight different varieties have been recognized. It is a beautiful plant with long-lasting, waxy, scarlet flowers which make it a favorite among gardeners.

Claret Cups are the most wide-spread of the hedgehog species and are also the most variable in appearance. In fact, the several varieties are so different looking that the only uniting factor is the bright red bloom and rounded petals.

These cacti often form large rounded mounds composed of many individual stems (3" to 6" in length and 2" to 3" in diameter) that are tightly packed together. Spines are at first yellow, pink or sometimes nearly black, but those turn whitish-grey after their first season. Each areole has one longer central spine and several radial spines that are 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, but spines on individual plants vary greatly. There is also a spineless variety of this cacti although it is not truly spineless since the condition is probably related to environmental conditions rather than evolutionary processes. On these plants, areoles may have very few spines and some stems can be almost completely spineless but the same plant will have spined stems and many spines per areole in another area.

The Claret Cups hardy nature makes it an ideal plant for the "brown-thumbed". They prefer a habitat in the rocky, gravelly, and/or sandy soil of the deserts, desert grasslands, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Claret Cups require strong sunlight to maintain a healthy appearance and a harsh "dry and cool" winter environment combined with maximum light exposure enhances spring flower production.

Varieties There are several forms of the hedgehog cacti included in the genus Echinocereus: Echinocereus enneacanthus - common name is Pitaya. Large purple flowers which bloom in April and May. Range is south and southwestern Texas. Echinocereus dasyacanthus - common name is Texas Rainbow Cactus. Each year's growth of spines may be a different color giving the cactus a tidy, banded appearance. Range is from southwestern Texas to southeastern Arizona. Echinocereus reichenbachii - common name is Purple Candle or Lace Cactus. Lace-like spines and large delicate flowers. Range is from western Oklahoma to eastern New Mexico and Colorado.

References Used

The Chinle Cactus and Succulent Club