Flower profile

Relict hedgehog cactus

Echinocereus relictus

Relict hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus relictus) is a flowering plant in the Cactaceae family, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native to Utah

Relict hedgehog cactus is a flowering plant. In Utah it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

–states where USDA records it

1,012UT sightings*

1,120U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Echinocereus relictus is a species of hedgehog cactus commonly known as “purple-spined hedgehog cactus”.
From Wikipedia's article Echinocereus relictus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cactaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. ^NatureServe
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,012 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #52 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Utah, most flowering sightings come in April–May.

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (76 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: T1 See NatureServe for what T1 means. ^NatureServe
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: S1, critically imperiled in Utah.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S1 in Utah. ^NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Echinocereus on Bloomipedia (3): Strawberry hedgehog cactus, Baker kingcup cactus, Santa rita hedgehog cactus.

More from the Cactaceae family (37 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Saguaro, California barrel cactus, Beavertail pricklypear, Plains pricklypear, Fishhook barrel cactus, Christmas cholla, Silver cholla, Tree cholla.

More Utah flowers

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June

Smallflower fishhook cactus

Sclerocactus parviflorus

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–May

Brown-spined pricklypear

Opuntia phaeacantha

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in UT

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Echinocereus relictus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Echinocereus relictus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Echinocereus relictus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: colorful-corvid via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.