Characteristics of the Hedgehog Cactus

Habitat

• Hedgehog cacti grow best in rocky or gravelly soil. They are commonly found growing wild in grasslands, as well as open areas where shrubs grow and places where junipers and aspens are abundant. Hedgehog cacti also grow well in highly elevated areas, from 3,020 to 7,950 feet.

Protective Features

• Hedgehog cacti are coated with a wax-like substance. The coating is thickest on the side of the plant that faces the sun and keeps the cactus from losing too much water. The thin, spine-like pricks on the hedgehog cactus protects it from animals that would eat it, and provides some shade for the plant --- this shade lowers the stem's temperature to help the cactus retain water. Hedgehog cacti even help to keep the air around the plants from becoming too dry by opening their somata, or pores, to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen during the cooler parts of the night.

Hedgehog Cactus Flowers

• Flowers on hedgehog cactus varieties like the crimson hedgehog cactus are cup-shaped and a rich red color; some variations of the plant display pink or fuchsia blooms as well. These colorful cacti feature blooms between the months of April and June. Hedgehog cactus flowers are the only cactus blooms that remain open at night; the flowers last for three to five days. The flowers have a number of overlapping petals, and showcase medium yellow centers. Hedgehog cactus flowers also yield fruit, which is red and safe for humans to eat.

Size

• The hedgehog cactus can grow to be about 20 inches tall, though most plants are between 6 and 8 inches in height. The flowers are 2 to 3 inches in height and width. The hedgehog cactus has four to six spines in the center of the plant that are a medium brown color --- each spine is 2 or 3 inches long.