Echinocereus bonkerae, Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus, Southwest Desert Flora

Echinocereus bonkerae, Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus

Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus is a native perennial that has large showy deep magenta to dark purple flowers. Echinocereus bonkerae

Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus blooms from March to May and has bright red or orange-red fruits with white or pale pink pulp. Echinocereus bonkerae

Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus has leaves modified into spines that emerge from areoles. This cactus lacks glochids. Echinocereus bonkerae

Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus has from 5 to 35 stems with dull yellowish to brown or white to gray spines. Plants are found in elevations from 2,000 to 6,500 feet. Echinocereus bonkerae

Scientific Name: Echinocereus bonkerae
Common Name: Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus
Also Called: Hedgehog, Hedgehog Cactus
Family: Cactaceae , Cactus Family
Synonyms: (Echinocereus fasciculatus var. bonkerae, Echinocereus fendleri var. bonkerae)
Status: Native
Duration: Perennial
Size: Up to 12 inches.
Growth Form: Shrub; 5 to 35 stems; spines dull yellowish to brown or white to gray, often brown to black especially at bases or tips.
Leaves: Leaves modified into spines emerging from areoles; lacking glochids.
Flower Color: Deep magenta to dark purple; 5 to 7 flowers; anthers yellow; fruits bright red or orange-red, pulp white or pale pink, fruiting 2 months after flowering.
Flowering Season: March to May.
Elevation: 2,000 to 6,500 feet.

Habitat Preferences: Sonoran Desert upland, upper Palo-Verde communities, desert grasslands, pinyon-juniper woods.

Recorded Range: In the United States Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus is rare where it is found only in Arizona where it grows in the central and southern parts of the state.

U.S. Weed Information: No information available.
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: No information available.
Wetland Indicator: No information available.

Threatened/Endangered Information: Arizona: Echinocereus bonkerae is salvage restricted (listed as Echinocereus fasciculatus var. bonkerae).

Genus Information: In North America there are 28 species for Echinocereus. Worldwide, The Plant List includes 64 accepted species names and a further 353 scientific names of infraspecific rank for the genus.

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona has 14 species of genus, California, Nevada and Utah each have 3 species, New Mexico has 12 species and Texas has 15 species. All data is approximate and subject to taxonomic changes.

Comments: Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus is not always easily recognized in the field and has been confused with other species so similar as to have the same common name, ie Pink Flower Hedgehog (Echinocereus fasciculatus and Echinocereus fendleri).

In Southwest Desert Flora also see: Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus coccineus, Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus engelmannii, Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus fasciculatus and Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus, Echinocereus rigidissimus.