Sunday, May 11, 2008

Black Hedgehog



Black Hedgehog cactus flower ready to open, and just as pretty as the fully opened flower. I think the petals resemble dyed feathers. The little fuzzy balls are spine covered ovaries left after the flowers are spent.


Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. fitchii

Hedgehog cacti like full sun, so they have numerous spines to protect the skin from sunburn. The cactus stems and spine configurations are nothing remarkable, but the flowers on most Echinocereus species are gorgeous. Depending on the species, the flower colors range from green to orange, but the predominant colors are pink to purple. The flowers do not close at night and usually last just a couple of days.

The E. reichenbachii ssp. fitchii is commonly called Black Hedgehog. The spines are tipped in brown, and the cactus is slow growing to about six inches high. Hedgehogs generally don't require supplemental water.

14 comments:

 gmirage said...

From this view, this cactus seems to be planted in a bigger pot, or is it in the ground on your garden? Regardless, it is another beauty, the appearance being like a feather is very rare. Happy GTS!

beckie said...

The partially opened bud does look a little like feathers. I love this color pink and the fuzzy silvery balls just set it off.

kml said...

The flower is gorgeous! It looks really big in comparison to the cactus.

Laura said...

Beautiful colour! Im always amazed at what blooms from a cactus :)

Cheryl said...

How are you doing this, they just keep coming and coming. These flowers are divine. You getting me thinking along the lines of cacti in the conservatory.

Anonymous said...

Like a magenta feather duster! I had one once - got it for a wedding shower gift from a very elderly aunt. It was the best gift at the party! :-)

Muum said...

The bud is as nice as the flower. I love the 'feather' look!

Anonymous said...

It looks beautiful.

elaine said...

A new to me cactus. Very vibrant flower. Green Thumb Sunday is a great way to move beyond one's growing zone and discover new plants.

Julie said...

Great flower color for you, Aiyana!!! The fluffy balls are really neat!

WiseAcre said...

I'm glad you are still getting blooms. I keep waiting for the day they run out but I'm not going to hold my breath yet. The summer heat isn't far off and I'm waiting to see what happens then.

Aiyana said...

Hi all,
Thanks for your comments.
Mirage2, the cactus is in the ground. I keep all the Hedgehogs in the ground.
The spring blooming cacti are almost through, and a few of the summer bloomers have put out buds. Then, many plants start going dormant in July, August and September. October will be our second spring with more flowers.

Anonymous said...

Hi Aiyana,
I love the colour of the flower it is so bright and colourful. I didn't realise cactus could be so colourful. Sara from farmingfriends

Anonymous said...

This is probably such a lame thing to say, but it is so odd/beautiful to see flowers on cacti. I supposed it is because most of the time when one sees a cactus it is without flowers. I can't get over how pretty the flowers are.