What Kind of Plant Is a Creeping Devil?

Appearance

• Creeping devil has a distinctive appearance and is not easily mistaken for other types of cactus. It grows along the ground with its growing end tilted slightly up toward the sky. It's covered in long white spines, and grows fast in its native coastal environment. After rainfall, the cactus produces large, nocturnal flowers in yellow, pink or white. Flowers produce large spiny red fruits that have shiny black seeds.

Growth Habits

• Creeping devil puts down roots from underneath its stem, and new growth at the end, while slowly drying out at the base, eventually separating from the original base. It grows slowly in hot, dry areas of desert but grows up to 2 feet a year in coastal areas of Baja California where there is more moisture and rainfall. The living sections of creeping devil grow between 5 and 10 feet long. They often grow into impenetrable masses of long, sharp spines.

Rarity

• Creeping devil is a rare cactus species, found in primarily along coastal Baja California, but even there, it can be hard to find. Its colonies move in the favorable climate and growing conditions. Although its flowers and seeds get few visitors, the cactus seems to be somewhat mobile, and is not usually found in the same place as the previous year it was observed. It is sought after by cactus collectors, but unless its favored growing environment is reproduced, it is a slow grower and won't exhibit the same prostrate, colonizing growing habits.

Related Species

• Creeping devil, Stenocereus eruca, has many relatives in the Stenocereus genus. Sour pitayaha is a shrubby cactus that produces large, tasty, tart and sweet bright red fruit. The organ pipe cactus and the octopus cactus, both impressive columnar cacti, are also related to creeping devil.