Alternate name: Saints Cactus, Strawberry Cactus
Family: Cactaceae, Cactus view all from this family
Description Stems forming dense clumos up to 2' high and 3' wide; cylinder-shaped. 5-11 radial spines; 4 central spines.
Flowers: purple to magenta; 2-3" long and wide.
Warning This cactus has very sharp spines.
Flower March - June.
Habitat Rocky, gravelly, or sandy hillsides and flats in deserts, desert grasslands, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and montane forests.
Range Southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, and Arizona. Sonoran, Mojave, and Great Basin deserts.
Discussion Englemann's is one of the most common hedgehog cacti found in the southwestern deserts. Its purple to magenta flowers and four well-armed central spines help to identify it. Nine varieties are recognized, based on stem size, central spine characteristics, and flower size. One of the most conspicuous and exceptional varieties is var. nichollii, which has golden yellow spines and tall slender stems. E. engelmanii blooms in April and May.
