Flower profile

Santa rita hedgehog cactus

Echinocereus santaritensis

Santa rita hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus santaritensis) is a flowering plant in the Cactaceae family, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native to Arizona

Santa rita hedgehog cactus is a flowering plant.

–states where USDA records it

2,571AZ sightings*

2,834U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Echinocereus santaritensis is a species of cactus native to Mexico and the United States.
From Wikipedia's article Echinocereus santaritensis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cactaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 2,571 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #35 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (45 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: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Arizona: Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Arizona. ^{AAC R3-3 App. A}
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 S3 in Arizona. ^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, Relict 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 Arizona flowers

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

★ AZ state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AZ: April–June

Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: August–September

Chain-fruit cholla

Cylindropuntia fulgida

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: May–September

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Echinocereus santaritensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Echinocereus santaritensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Echinocereus santaritensis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Mark Pollock via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.