This cactus is growing in a crack within a rock
I had the great opportunity to visit the Chihuahuan Desert on a trip to Big Bend National Park several years ago. I have spent a significant amount of time in deserts in my life, and I was surprised to see how readily cactus will grow in the most uninviting environments. As you can see in this photo, this cactus is growing in a crack within a rock. What was once a surprising sight became a common view during the four days spent in Big Bend National Park.
The scientific name of this cactus is Echinocactus horizonthalonius. It goes by many common names, including Devilshead, Turk's Head Cactus, Blue Barrel Cactus, Eagle's Claw, Horse Maimer, Horse Crippler, and visnaga meloncillo. If you're hoping to spot this cactus, head to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. It can be found in both the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Desert habitats, especially on limestone substrates.
The cactus is either gray-green or blue-gray in color. It has a spherical, hemispherical, columnar, or flat-topped shape. It grows to be about 45 cm tall and 20 cm wide. It has curving sections that twist around the body in a helical fashion. Each section is lined with areoles that can have as many as 10 spines each. These spines are about 4 cm long and can be pink, gray, or brown. They produce beautiful, bright pink to magenta flowers that are 7 to 9 centimeters wide.
One of the varieties of the species, the Echinocactus horizonthalonius variety nicholii, also known as the Nichol’s Turk's Head Cactus, can only be found in three Sonoran Desert populations in southeastern Arizona and one population in Sonora, Mexico. It is considered an endangered species federally in the United States.
They produce beautiful, bright pink to magenta flowers
Did you know?
- The fruit is woolly or hairy, and can either be pink or red in color.
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