Opuntia Blog

Echinocactus polycephalus, Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, NV

Many cacti flower early in the Mojave Desert, but Echinocatus polycephalus blooms late, sometimes as late as the end of July. The blooms are pretty, and yellow, but not large and showy. “Polycephalus” means “many heads,” and, sure enough, E. polycephalus has many short stems that form “heads.”

E. polycephalus is not hard to find in rocky or gravelly areas of the Mojave Desert (2,500 to 4,000 ft), but it is seldom seen in cultivation. Perhaps one reason it is seldom seen is that it is not a fast grower. Another reason it might not be seen is that plants seldom, if ever, transplant successfully from the wild, and despite the damage it may cause some folks still collect cacti in the wild.

E. polcephalus grows from seed easily enough, but it resents overwatering. If you are lucky enough to have this plant it can probably tolerate 10 F, or perhaps a bit more cold (especially if the next day warms up).

You can read more about E. polycephalus here and here.