Echinocereus in bloom

[estación seca]

This was sold to me as Echinocereus pamanesiorum. I am not certain it is that species. These flowers are about 3.5" / 9cm in diameter.

It is definitely an Echinocereus. It has the short-columnar stems with many ribs, clumping from the base, and bright green pistil lobes. Flowers in this genus erupt through the epidermis, leaving a permanent scar. Fruits are spiny. Some are edible and delicious.

They are from North America. Most species need lots of direct sunlight; these species are not as easy to grow in more northerly climates as some other cacti. There are grassland species, accustomed to dappled shade, that do better in temperate greenhouses.

Some species grow in areas with very cold winters, from northern and eastern Arizona into Utah and Colorado, or from Texas into Missouri. Some have lemon-scented flowers!

[jcec1]

That's what you call shocking pink. I love the size of the bloom compared to the plant. It always surprises me that so many people don't think that cacti bloom (Or at least here in Scotland). Here you see seedlings in one inch pots with tiny paper flowers that are somehow attached to the plant, if only they knew how spectacular the flowers can be.

[Leafmite]

Wow, what a beautiful, brightly-colored bloom! That little Cactus really knows how to put on a show!

[DeaC]

Lemon scented flowers?! I'll take your word for it! Sticking the schnoz into a cactus...well,no! Hope you and your little piece of heaven is not affected by the fires I've been hearing about.

[isurus79]

Wow! I love it!

[estación seca]

The fires are in the southern part of Arizona, in higher-elevation grassland. That vegetation type burns periodically after lightning strikes, and the biome is adapted to resprouting after fire. However, most fires are caused by humans.

Phoenix is in the Sonoran Desert, which is too sparse to burn naturally, even with lightning. Buffelgrass was introduced in the 19th Century as forage; it naturalizes here. It is a winter-growing grass, dormant in summer. Dry plants burn very hot. Regions invaded by buffelgrass are at risk of burning, which kills all the vegetation. It is saddening to see large areas of dead saguaros, barrel cactus, desert trees and shrubs. Some years ago the Desert Botanical Garden led a volunteer effort to remove buffelgrass from the Phoenix Mountains Preserve.