Claret cup cactus

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade can help in exceptionally hot locations.

Water

Low once established. Water thoroughly during active growth, then let the root zone dry out; keep almost dry during winter dormancy.

Soil

Very sharply drained, gritty or rocky soil. Avoid clay, compacted ground and moisture-retentive potting mixes.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m), eventually wider in old clumps

Flowers

Spring to early summer; scarlet to orange-red, cup-shaped flowers held near the stem tips.

Foliage

Evergreen. Green, cylindrical stems with pronounced ribs and clusters of stout spines; no conspicuous leaves.

Growth

Slow

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.8 ft (0.25 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.8 ft (0.26 m)

3. After 2 years

   0.9 ft (0.26 m)

4. After 3 years

   0.9 ft (0.27 m)

5. After 5 years

   0.9 ft (0.28 m)

About 10 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant on a raised mound or slope so water drains away from the stem bases.
• Water established plants only after the root zone has dried; stop routine watering during winter dormancy.
• Use a thin gravel mulch around stems rather than bark or compost.
• For containers, use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with unobstructed drainage holes; never leave it standing in a saucer of water.
• Feed container plants lightly once in spring with a low-nitrogen cactus fertiliser; established plants in the ground rarely need feeding.
• In wet-winter climates, provide a well-ventilated rain shelter or move pots to a bright, dry, frost-protected position.

Pruning. No routine pruning is needed. In dry weather during the growing season, remove dead or rotting stems with a clean blade, cutting back to sound tissue and keeping the wound dry.

Spring

Check for winter rot and resume watering gradually as active growth begins.

Spring

Plant or repot into sharply drained soil after severe frost has passed.

Late spring

Apply one light feed to container plants if needed.

Summer

Check soil before watering; allow it to dry thoroughly between soakings.

Autumn

Reduce watering as temperatures fall and arrange winter rain protection where needed.

Winter

Keep dormant plants nearly dry and ensure covers or shelters remain well ventilated.

• Set among rocks on a sunny slope, where the clustered stems echo the shapes of surrounding stones.
• Use in a raised gravel bed with small agaves, yuccas and other dryland plants.
• Grow in a shallow, well-drained container so the flowers and stem structure can be seen closely.
• Place near the front of a dry border, but back from paths and seating to avoid contact with the spines.

Garden styles it suits: Desert modern, Southwestern, Desert / xeriscape, Dry gravel garden, Architectural minimal and Small-space.

Plant it with: Red yucca, Banana yucca, Parry's agave, Blue grama grass, Hardy ice plant and Firecracker penstemon.

Wildlife: The flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds within their native range and are also visited by bees. Birds and small mammals may eat the ripe fruit.

• Root or stem rot in wet soil: improve drainage, stop watering affected plants and remove rotten tissue; discard plants with extensive basal rot.
• Mealybugs: inspect between stems and around roots; isolate affected pots and treat with a product labelled for mealybugs on cacti.
• Scale insects: remove small infestations carefully with a soft brush and use a labelled treatment if they persist.
• Winter damage from wet conditions or unsuitable provenance: choose locally proven plants, keep dormant plants dry and shelter containers from prolonged hard freezes.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The main hazard is the sharp spines, which can puncture skin, mouths and eyes; keep plants away from play areas and animal routes.

• Scarlet hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus coccineus)

  Also forms clumps with red flowers and is frequently sold under the same common names. Rib and spine characters overlap, so flower colour alone cannot separate them;

• Engelmann's hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii)

  Usually has pink to magenta flowers rather than scarlet cups, with dense spines that often obscure more of the stems.

• Texas rainbow cactus (Echinocereus dasyacanthus)

  Usually has yellow flowers and closely packed, often banded spines; it generally forms smaller clusters than an old claret cup cactus.

Echinocereus means hedgehog-like Cereus, triglochidiatus refers to three barbed points or spines, and claret cup describes the wine-red, cup-shaped flowers.

Propagation. Sow seed in a free-draining medium in warm conditions; seedlings take several years to flower. Where offsets can be removed without badly damaging the clump, detach them during active growth, let the cut surface dry and callus, then root in a gritty mix with very cautious watering.

Accepted botanical name

Echinocereus triglochidiatus

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Arizona, California, Colorado, Mexico Northwest, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.