Horse Crippler
Echinocactus texensis
A squat, ferociously spined barrel that sits flush with the ground — the common name horse crippler is not decorative. Large satiny pink flowers open at the crown in spring, followed by bright red fruit. Slow, long-lived and completely drought-proof; site it well away from paths and bare feet.
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0.5–1 ft
- Spacing
- 1–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June, July, August
- Bloom colors
- pink, purple
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- specimen, container, border
- Native states
- NM, OK, TX