With age this striking hedgehog cactus forms large, rounded, straw-colored mounds with 20–100 bristly stems. The erect, cylindrical stems reach 12-inches tall, 1 3/4–4 5/8-inches wide, and have 11–17 ribs (average 12). Note the magenta petals have dark red bases, and the dense cover of straw-colored spines. The flowers of this genus grow from spiny pedicels on the upper stem, not the apex.

FLOWERS: March–July. In season, showy red to magenta flowers often cover the 2–3-foot wide mounds. The brilliant flowers average 3–4-inches wide (7.5–10 cm) with numerous delicate petal-like tepals; filaments yellow, stigma lobes green. The 1 3/8–1 3/4-inch long (3.5–4.45 cm), bright pinkish fruit resembles strawberries in size and taste, but with spines.

SPINES: Areoles on stem circular (not elongated) and without short felt; 7–10, straw-colored to white radial spines 5/8–1 1/2-inches long (15–38 mm), and 2–4 central spines 2–4-inches long (5–10 cm). The spines densely cover and can obscure the stems.

HABITAT: Rocky, sandy limestone soils,  slopes, foothills; desert scrublands.

ELEVATION: 2,500–5,000 feet.

RANGE: NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus, E. enneacanthus, has 8–9 ribs sparsely covered with spines. Pink-flowering Hedgehog Cactus, E. fendleri, has erect stems, single or small clumps, and 1 central spine 1–2-inches long.

NM COUNTIES: Extreme south-central NM in low-elevation, arid, rocky habitats: Dona Ana, Eddy, Otero.