Echinocereus cacti are a genus within the succulent plants.
Echinocereus belongs to the cactus family, genus Echinocereus, with about 75 species in the genus. The genus name Echinocereus comes from the Greek word εχινο? (Echinos), meaning hedgehog, and cereus derives from the Latin word for candle (in modern English, cereus already means cactus). The two words describe its characteristics: many spines, upright like candles (some are actually spherical). Abroad it is also called hedgehog cactus, and the name hedgehog cactus is fairly easy to understand. More incredibly, it is also often called shrimp cactus, and many cultivar names in this genus are given the shrimp label, such as golden chestnut shrimp, purple emerald shrimp, beautiful peach shrimp, etc. The shrimp naming originates from Japan, and why does Japan call this genus shrimp? Perhaps it is due to a homophonic relationship in Japanese pronunciation?
Echinocereus cacti
Echinocereus cacti are mainly native to a wide range of areas in the southern United States and Mexico, distributed from deserts with low nighttime temperatures and hot midday heat to cool mountain slopes, but most varieties prefer light. They also differ in morphology: some are spherical, some are cylindrical, with ribs of different shapes, and spines that are often dense, hard and straight. In slower-growing varieties, the spines tend to be more striking, while a small number of varieties have inconspicuous spines. They often grow in clusters, with as many as 100 or more heads, but some also grow solitary. The plant height usually does not exceed 40cm, while the cluster width of some varieties can exceed one meter.
Echinocereus cacti
The flowers of Echinocereus are one of their highlights, large and gorgeous, cup-shaped, and called wine-glass flowers. The colors are bright and varied, from green, yellow, orange, pink, purple to red. They bloom in summer, and the flowers usually last from a few days to a week. The fruit is red.
Echinocereus cacti
Growth habits and care methods of Echinocereus:
Echinocereus cacti are robust in nature and relatively easy to care for. Echinocereus cacti need sufficient light to perform perfectly (to flower). Aside from a small amount of shading in summer, they can be given full sun in the other seasons. With insufficient light, they do not flower much. Although most varieties are tolerant of low temperatures, higher winter temperatures (15°C) are beneficial for flowering the next year. For regular watering, based on soil moisture, water thoroughly once when the soil is nearly dry. Water normally in summer, and in winter pay attention to controlling water at low temperatures (a small amount about once a month), or stop watering. Stopping watering allows tolerance of lower temperatures (minus ten to twenty °C), but if the potting soil remains wet for a long time, it can easily lead to root rot, and even cause the plant to rot. Therefore, when mixing soil, attention should be paid to good drainage. You can choose a mix of peat and granular soil, with a higher proportion of granules. When mixing the soil, add some base fertilizer, such as worm castings or slow-release fertilizer. The key points for growing them well are: sufficient light, slight watering (no waterlogging and no root rot), stable fertilizer (the material basis for flowering), and not too low a temperature.
Propagation of Echinocereus cacti can be done by sowing seeds or dividing offsets.