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Cactaceae
Claret Cup Cactus
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
Desert fire, hummingbird gift, mountain spirit.
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Echinocereus
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- Cactus
- Height
- 15–60 cm (6–24 in)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sandy, gritty, very well-drained
- Water
- Very low
- Hardiness
- 5–10
- Lifespan
- Long-lived (30–75 years)
Did you know
- Claret cup cactus has the most spectacular red flowers in the entire cactus family—each bloom is so bright it almost glows, and a mature clump can produce 50+ flowers at once.
- Unlike most cactus flowers (which last a single day), claret cup blooms stay open for 4–7 days—a botanical eternity in the desert that gives hummingbirds time to find them.
- The flowers are pollinated almost exclusively by hummingbirds in the wild, especially the broad-tailed hummingbird—the bright red color and lack of fragrance are perfect for bird pollination.
- Claret cup is one of the very few cacti hardy enough to grow in cold winter climates—populations in the Rocky Mountains tolerate temperatures below –20°F under snow.
- The waxy red flowers were used by Pueblo and Hopi peoples in religious ceremonies, and the fleshy fruits were eaten as a sweet, juicy desert treat.
Color meanings
0
desert fire
1
hummingbird gift
2
mountain spirit