The taxonomy of this genus is complicated due to fuzzy taxonomic boundaries, polytypic taxa, and differing interpretations by specialists. Most North American botanists recognize about 50 species, while the Echinocereus specialists in Germany recognize more than 70 species[]. We are following the treatment of David Hunt, 2016 in CITES Cactaceae Checklist, Third Edition, ISBN 978-0-9933113-2-1.

Common Name:

General Information

Echinocereus engelmannii is a spiny, evergreen, succulent shrubby plant. Many-branched from near the base, it forms somewhat open clumps or mounds of usually 3 - 60 cylindrical stems; the stems are around 5 - 60cm tall and 4 - 9cm in diameter, forming a clump that can be up to 100cm wide[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is commonly grown as an ornamental.
Echinocereus engelmannii is wide spread and abundant and does not have any major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southwest N. America - Californa, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, northwest Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)

Habitat

Gravelly, sandy, or rocky soils of hillsides, washes, and canyons in the desert, plains, montane forest, juniper-pinyon woodland, chaparral, grass, and Great Basin scrub; at elevations from near sea level to 2,400 metres[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.40 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Echinocereus engelmannii is a plant of semi-arid regions in southwestern N. America, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,400 metres. It has proven cold tolerant down to -10°c in cultivation so long as the climate is not moist[].
In cultivation, Cactus plants generally will not succeed in moist climates. They usually require a sunny position in a well-drained, circumneutral soil and to be kept more or less dry in the dormant season[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. Delicious, it is juicy with a strawberry-like flavour[, , ]. The pulp is whitish, becoming infused with pink or red from the fruit skin[, ]. The red fruits are around 25 - 45mm long[].

Stems - cooked[]. Eaten like potatoes[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow on a finely sieved compost and place under a glass or transparent plastic cover in a temperature of 20°c.
Cuttings of detached branches. Leave the freshly taken cuttings in a warm, dry, airy position for the cut surface to callus, then place them in a sandy compost,