Favorite Echinocereus?

[peterb]

Hello all- I am giving a presentation and co-leading a couple of cultivation workshops on the genus Echinocereus at the Sonoran X Conference in Tucson this coming Saturday morning and I thought it would be fun to conduct an informal survey here.

What is your favorite species? If possible, explain why.

What is the biggest challenge you face, growing plants in this genus?

Thanks,

peterb

[BarryRice]

Echinocereus rigidissiumus var. rubrispinus


I know its not a very original entry, but I love the basics--the overall coloration of the spines, the fabulous flower, and the fact that the first time I found it in the wild, it was a completely unanticipated discovery when I was a young botanist, and a lovely surprise.

[A. Dean Stock]

It is hard to pick just one!! I guess my favorite would be Echinocereus mohavensis simply because it is the toughest of the lot and has great blooms as well as an interesting growth habit. It occurs farther north than any other member of the genus and is even happy on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. There are also newly discovered mutant colors ranging from nearly green/white through yellow to a nice pink. Add that to the usual red blooms and you have the best of all the Echinocereus. My biggest challenge has been to quit adding different spine and color forms.
Dean

[Robb]

I don't grow very many Echinocereus, but my favourite would have to be Echinocereus davsii.
I like its small size in comparison to it's flowers, and it's spines are nicely coloured. In terms of cultivation I haven't experienced very many issues, except mildew on its withered flowers- which tend to be firmly attached.

[Arjen]

I can narrow it down to two species, nicholii and pentalophus, which is spines vs flowers
if I then have to choose it will probably be spines, but it's a close call!
I love the spination on at least my specimens of nicholii

the challenge for me is that these plants can get quite large and I'm already cramped for space

[DaveW]

I agree with Arjen, pentalophus probably has the largest Echinocereus flower and is an underrated plant. I do like the ones with more unusual coloured flowers for the genus though.

E. salm-dyckianus for it's yellow/orange flowers:-

salmdyckianus2.jpg (38.9 KiB) Viewed 2969 times

Also E. viridiflorus for it's green ones:-

viridiflorusSB167.jpg (99.32 KiB) Viewed 2969 times

Challenges for Echinocereus, so far none really since I grow in an unheated greenhouse that goes below freezing most years.

[DaveW]

Barry's choice, Echinocereus pectinatus rubispinus, is also one of the few Echinocereus that does not have the usual characteristic of the genus, the green stigma lobes:-

rubispinus.jpg (94.47 KiB) Viewed 2967 times

[cortez753]

Well if I had to pick just one it would be E. triglochidiatus v. gonacanthus. It's big, It's cold hardy, and it's big red flowers are just beautiful. I have one by my front door step and people just can't believe it stays outside year round!

[tumamoc]

I favor Echinocereus pailanus because of it's stunning flower. It may be a variety of reichenbachii or pectinatus. I'm not sure. I also really like Echinocereus rigidissimus (the shaggy version) in habitat. It's a pretty cactus any time of the year, but when a population blooms en masse, that is truly a sight to see.

My main trouble with Echinocereus seedlings are spider mites.

[cactushobbyman]

My favorite is E. engelmanni if named correctly, and if not, this is still my favorite.

1.jpg (215 KiB) Viewed 2930 times

[MJPapay]

Hey, Peter, Great topic.

Though I have not grown all the Echinocereus types, my favorites are the E. engelmannii - I LOVE the spines (lengths & colors) and the flowers.

A close second are the E. coccineus types for their fantastic and varied flowers, different growth forms in size and spination, and ease of culture (usually).

The greatest challenge here (North Carolina) is the wet weather, but I have excellent luck with my hybrid E. e. fasciculatus x boyce-thompsonii. It has yet to bloom because of its youth, but withstood last year's very wet spring and summer, and this winter's cold and wet.

[Arizona Fero]

First of all what time is your presentation Peter? (I will be there!) That's a tough one for me, as of right now I have over 300 in my gardens, and its also my favorite cacti. But if I had to pick one it would have to be the e. triglochidiatus family, do to all of the variations, and echinocereus nicholii coming in at a close second. For me there has not been much of a challenge, I am one of the lucky guys that live here in Tucson AZ were they grow great. I give them a little water every once in while, and keep the bugs of and I am go to go. Martin- Good Post.

[peterb]

Thanks for all the replies! My presentation kicks off the conference at 9 in the morning on Saturday.

Martin, I know you are a real expert in the genus and grow amazing plants! Look forward to meeting you.

It looks like my presentation will be broken down into about 4 segments. Unusual spine/flower forms of engelmannii and other larger Echinos, the coccineus/triglochidiatus group, Echinos of Baja, Echinocereus in cultivation with flowers. My main knowledge is about US and northern Mexico plants. I am woefully lacking in details on about 1/3 of the genus, many of the plants that are mainland Mexico endemics.

fasciculatus x boyce-thompsonii makes sense, as boyce-thompsonii is most likely nothing more than a vague intermediate between engelmannii and fasciculatus and the form that provided the rationale for putting fasciculatus under engelmannii in the first place.

Dean, does mojavensis grow farther north than viridiflorus? I'll have to look at SEInet maps.

Thanks again all, good idea to include....

peterb

[DaveW]

Lost my E. pailanus a couple of years ago Tumamoc, but as you say it's a lovely flower:-

Echinocereus reichenbachii pailanus.jpg (40.54 KiB) Viewed 2878 times

[majcka]

I think I should go with E. triglochidatus (all of them). I only have no own pics of them flowering.