- Family
- Cactaceae
- Subfamily
- Cactoideae
- Genus according to POWO
- Echinocereus
- Growth form
- Solitary or clumping short ribbed stems
Rozmieszczenie
POWO gives the natural range as southwestern South Dakota to northern and western Texas. It also includes Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Two subspecies are recognized. [2-WWW]
The range spans cold highlands and warmer southern areas. Seedling provenance is therefore important for assessing frost hardiness and the timing of growth onset. [2-WWW]
Siedlisko
The species grows in open prairies, stony slopes, rock outcrops and dry plains. It often occupies places with a shallow mineral substrate and full sunlight. Local populations may be associated with different rock types and elevations. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
A cold winter does not imply constant moisture around roots. At a site, water drains through fissures and down the slope, while wind accelerates surface drying. These relationships matter more than copying a single ratio of substrate ingredients. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Budowa
Stems are short, ribbed and usually much smaller than tall columnar cacti. The plant may remain solitary or form a small clump. Areoles bear spines with variable colour and arrangement. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Flowers of the typical form are greenish or yellowish, distinguishing it from many red-flowered Echinocereus species. Flower colour should nevertheless not be the sole identifying character, particularly in a group with subspecies and population variation. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Biology
A flower develops from an areole in a defined stem zone. After pollination, a fruit with seeds forms. In a sexually reproducing population, each seedling is a new combination of genetic variants, so complete uniformity of a seed batch should not be expected. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Regional occurrence in Colorado confirms exposure of some populations to a freezing climate. It is not a measurement of damage temperature or evidence of tolerance of prolonged winter moisture in Poland. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Identification and documentation
Documentation needs side and top views of the stem, rib number, spine arrangement and a flower view showing its interior. Colour may change with lighting and the camera, so a photograph should include a neutral colour reference or a description made in daylight. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Record a subspecies only when reliably established. Seedlings from one batch in a collection may differ in spines and flower shade. Do not remove specimens that differ from the expected appearance before checking labels and growth conditions. An unusual form may result from insufficient light. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Physiology of frost hardiness and scope of the data
In a single-season experiment in Bozeni, Romania, the authors recorded no damage to plants identified as Echinocereus viridiflorus in the covered treatment. The trial included ten plants per treatment, and the reported minimum temperature was −21,9°C. Material provenance, tissue temperature and detailed cover construction were not established. The 2022 publication documents the success of this trial without defining a safe temperature for all provenances of the species. [Szekely-Varga et al. 2022, pp. 739–743]
Provide a very bright site, free airflow and a substrate from which excess water drains rapidly even deeper in the pot or bed. During active growth, the plant needs water, but subsequent watering should account for temperature and drying of the entire root ball. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Conduct a year-round trial on material of known provenance, preferably with a protected copy. Reduce precipitation in winter while retaining ventilation. No single limiting temperature is given because the profile's sources do not establish one. [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW]
Notes on sources
Regional data confirm occurrence in a cold climate. They do not replace testing tolerance of winter moisture in Poland.
Experiments described in the literature
Uprawa zimowa
Collector practiceThe materials recommend a sunny, well-ventilated position, water drainage and autumn hardening. Winter hardiness in the ground requires a separate assessment from resistance to brief, dry frost. Lists from 2002–2005 describe collectors' experience at that time. [Bydgoski Klub Miłośników Kaktusów 2002, file p. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]
Status of names from the literature
- Echinocereus viridiflorus — accepted name in WCVP 16
Name status according to WCVP 16 dated 4 June 2026. Complete tree and synonyms
Source material
Species record in Plants of the World Online [2-WWW] [4-WWW] [4-WWW] [2-WWW] [Szekely-Varga et al. 2022]
The name and range were checked in POWO on 8.10.2026. The profile distinguishes source data from cultivation inferences.
Cactus and succulent atlas