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Echinocactus polycephalus growing on the side of a mountain in Red rock Canyon CA. Doing well better than the Opuntia basilaris and much better than all the dead Sclerocactus polyancistrus. Creosote bush, joshua tree and other small shrubs were also there. I only saw it on East south slopes halfway down the mountain no where else. I used snipping tool on the pictures because the online Jpeg compressor either did nothing or made them bigger

Fabulous! Love the pics, especially seeing the spines going all directions on that small one.

You mentioned on my thread that they might grow in Utah. Well, maybe, but not confirmed.

Here's the BONAP map of their known locations. Utah has crossbars which means unconfirmed presence.

I see that most of my state is another thousand feet higher than where you were...plus farther north. Cold and altitude may be the deciding factors for their absence here. The best variety of species in Utah are on the two southern corners of the state. Besides one other location over near Flaming Gorge area. I don't frequent these locations much. It's 6 hours each way so an overnight trip is a must. The places closest to me can be reached inside an hour or up to three hours.

beautiful pink spines! I bet they turn red when wet?

Some survivors I counted two Sclerocactus polyancistrus also called Mojave Fishook cactus, there used to be hundreds. I think bugs or drought killed them. The cotton top barrel Echinocactus polycephalus are doing OK and the Opuntia same as two years ago mostly dead some survivors.

The Echinocactus only found growing up on hillsides the other two cactus are more spread out. Very dry area but expecting rain today and maybe snow later. Very windy Desert lots of solar panels and wind turbines.