Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Native Hedgehog
Native Hedgehog, Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, is a low, clumping cactus native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, including Arizona. It forms a mound of upright stems about a foot tall and up to 2 or 3 feet wide, covered in long spines. In spring, often February to April in Phoenix, it opens bright magenta to pink flowers up to 3 inches across. It is easy, slow growing and needs very little water.
Best for: native desert beds and borders, patio pots and small gardens, and spring color in rock gardens.
It grows wild across the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, including Arizona. It fits native plantings and gravel beds with other desert natives.
In spring, often February to April in Phoenix, it opens bright magenta to pink flowers up to 3 inches across. The flowers close at night and reopen in the morning.
It stays about a foot tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. That size fits patio pots, borders and small gardens.
Soggy soil rots it, so let the soil dry out between waterings. Its spines can reach 2 to 3 inches long, so keep it back from walkways.
- Closer planting12 in apart
- Wider planting24 in apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. In cooler weather, water only after two to four weeks without rain.
Water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry, and give little or none in winter. Plants in pots dry out faster and need water more often than plants in the ground.
Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery. Cover a new plant with light shade cloth its first summer, then remove it.
Below about 10 to 14°F, frost can scar the stem tips. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take covers off in the morning.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Native Hedgehog native to Arizona?
Yes. Engelmann's hedgehog grows wild in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, including Arizona. Buy nursery-grown plants rather than digging wild ones.
How big does it get?
It forms a clump about a foot tall and 1 to 3 feet wide, with many upright stems. Give it that much room in a bed.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in spring, often February to April in Phoenix. The magenta to pink flowers are up to 3 inches across, so plant it where you will see them.
How often should I water it?
Give it very little water. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings, and once it is rooted it needs only an occasional drink.
Does it take full sun?
Yes, it grows in full sun or light shade. When you plant it, keep the same side facing the sun as in the nursery, and shade it lightly its first summer.
Is it cold hardy?
Yes, it is rated hardy to about 10 to 14°F. It needs no frost cover in the Valley, but keep the soil dry in winter.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it grows well in a patio pot. Use a sandy, fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Does it attract wildlife?
Yes, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Plant it with other spring bloomers for a pollinator bed.
Does it have sharp spines?
Yes. The stems are covered in long spines. Plant it back from walkways and wear thick gloves when you handle it.
Native Hedgehog for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Native Hedgehog is Engelmann's hedgehog cactus, a low cactus of Arizona's deserts known for its big spring flowers. It is easy to grow and slow to spread. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask about it, with what to do for each.
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Engelmann's hedgehog, an Arizona native
Native Hedgehog grows wild across Arizona's Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Buy nursery-grown plants rather than digging wild ones.
Hedgehog cactus flowers in Phoenix
Bright magenta flowers open in spring, often February to April in Phoenix. They close at night and reopen in the morning.
How big hedgehog cactus gets
It stays about a foot tall and spreads 1 to 3 feet wide as a clump of stems.
Watering hedgehog cactus
Water very little once it is rooted, and let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Soggy soil causes rot, so plant it where water drains fast.
Hedgehog cactus in pots
It suits patio pots and small gardens. Use a sandy, fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Cold hardiness of hedgehog cactus
It is rated to about 10 to 14°F. Keep the soil dry through winter cold.
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