Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup Cactus)

Widely cultivated for its flowers, Echinocereus triglochidiatus (Claret Cup Cactus) is a small mounding cactus, forming bulbous piles of up to hundreds of usually erect, spherical to cylindrical, blue green stems. Low and heavily branched, this plant is extremely variable in appearance, except for the bright scarlet-red to orange-red blooms and rounded petals which adorn all plants from spring to early summer. Long-lasting, the showy desert flowers, 3-4 in. long (7-9 cm), are adorned with creamy-yellow at the base of their petals, highlighting their bright green stigma at their center. There are many thready pink stamens at the center of their corolla and a thick nectar chamber that is visited by hummingbirds. The plants may be densely spiny or without spines. They may be composed of 5 to 12 ribs with slightly undulated crests. The spines, in shades of white, yellow, gray, or even black, may be straight, curved, contorted or spreading to projecting outward. The blooms give way to juicy, edible fruits, green to yellow-green, pink and sometimes red, that are devoured by wildlife.

Claret Cup is among the easiest species to grow, flower and propagate. Blooming generally begins 5 to 10 years after sowing, as the plant matures.

• Grows up to 15-24 in. tall (37-60 cm) and 18-24 in. wide (45-60 cm).
• Easily grown in well-drained soils in full sun. Water regularly when in growth. Excellent drainage is critical to avoid rot issues. Keep the plant dry in winter. Drought tolerant.
• Great for desert gardens, rock gardens, succulent gardens or Mediterranean gardens. Great in decorative containers too.
• Deer and rabbit resistant. The flowers produce nectar and are attractive to birds and bees
• Native to most of the American Southwest and Mexico