Echinocereus engelmannii var. armatus

It is a cactus, that is often identified as a symbol of the US and Mexican areas, from which it comes. It has very variable characteristics, as it includes a large amount of varieties; however it tends to be a columnar cactus, where multiple stems grow together like a spiny cushion. The radial spines are thin, clear and are arranged in an orderly manner, creating some sort of a corolla; the central ones, on the other hand, are very varied, generally longer and sturdier, with a more disordered pattern and colors, ranging from yellow to reddish, up to even black. It is a real beauty to see, how, in spring, its large pink and magenta flowers bloom in the midst of these spines, truly lively and ornamental!