Mendel’s Gardens

Echinocereus pectinatus

Rainbow Cactus · Arizona Hedgehog Cactus · Comb Hedgehog Cactus

Family CactaceaeGenus Echinocereus

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
Perennial, Shrub
Native range
Native to the lower 48 states

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Source: PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 28, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

    Washed free of the sweet pulp.

  2. Gibberellic acid soak

  3. Sow and cover

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 98 days to germinate.

51% germination in 7–98 days.

Deno's seed was hybrids among E. baileyi, pectinatus and reichenbachii. A second sample of fresh seed gave 80%.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, EchinocereusPublic domain
Show the original text
Echinocereus (Cactaceae). The discovery that GA-3 was required for the germination of seeds of E. pectinatus hybrids (E. baileyi, pectinatus, and reichenbachii) led to the recognition that fungál products of the gibberelin type are natural requirements for germination … Prior treatments seem to have little effect, and germination was about the same for fresh seeds (51% in 1-14 w), seeds that had been DS up to 3 y (44% in 1-14w), and seeds that had been exposed to outdoor treatment for up to 3 y (45% in 1-14 w). A second sample germ. 80% with fresh seed, and the detailed rate data are presented in Chapter 19. … Prior to the, use of GA-3 a number Of treatments were tried varying times at 40 and 70 and varying the DS. None of these treatments gave more than 5% germination and germination extended over 1-2 y of alternating cycles. … when the capsule first splits, the capsule is collected and the seeds washed free of the sweet pulp. It has been claimed that scarification effects immediate germination, but all abrasion experiments in the present work failed to enhance germination.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Echinocereus. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 28, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

    Washed free of the sweet pulp.

  2. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Outdoors for up to 3 years.

  3. Gibberellic acid soak

  4. Sow and cover

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 98 days to germinate.

45% germination in 7–98 days.

Deno's seed was hybrids among E. baileyi, pectinatus and reichenbachii. Three years outdoors made almost no difference.

This source doesn't state how long.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, EchinocereusPublic domain
Show the original text
Echinocereus (Cactaceae). The discovery that GA-3 was required for the germination of seeds of E. pectinatus hybrids (E. baileyi, pectinatus, and reichenbachii) led to the recognition that fungál products of the gibberelin type are natural requirements for germination … Prior treatments seem to have little effect, and germination was about the same for fresh seeds (51% in 1-14 w), seeds that had been DS up to 3 y (44% in 1-14w), and seeds that had been exposed to outdoor treatment for up to 3 y (45% in 1-14 w). A second sample germ. 80% with fresh seed, and the detailed rate data are presented in Chapter 19. … Prior to the, use of GA-3 a number Of treatments were tried varying times at 40 and 70 and varying the DS. None of these treatments gave more than 5% germination and germination extended over 1-2 y of alternating cycles. … when the capsule first splits, the capsule is collected and the seeds washed free of the sweet pulp. It has been claimed that scarification effects immediate germination, but all abrasion experiments in the present work failed to enhance germination.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Echinocereus. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 28, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

    Washed free of the sweet pulp.

  2. Dry storage

    Dry stored for up to 3 years.

  3. Gibberellic acid soak

  4. Sow and cover

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 98 days to germinate.

44% germination in 7–98 days.

Deno's seed was hybrids among E. baileyi, pectinatus and reichenbachii. Dry storage made almost no difference.

This source doesn't state how long.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, EchinocereusPublic domain
Show the original text
Echinocereus (Cactaceae). The discovery that GA-3 was required for the germination of seeds of E. pectinatus hybrids (E. baileyi, pectinatus, and reichenbachii) led to the recognition that fungál products of the gibberelin type are natural requirements for germination … Prior treatments seem to have little effect, and germination was about the same for fresh seeds (51% in 1-14 w), seeds that had been DS up to 3 y (44% in 1-14w), and seeds that had been exposed to outdoor treatment for up to 3 y (45% in 1-14 w). A second sample germ. 80% with fresh seed, and the detailed rate data are presented in Chapter 19. … Prior to the, use of GA-3 a number Of treatments were tried varying times at 40 and 70 and varying the DS. None of these treatments gave more than 5% germination and germination extended over 1-2 y of alternating cycles. … when the capsule first splits, the capsule is collected and the seeds washed free of the sweet pulp. It has been claimed that scarification effects immediate germination, but all abrasion experiments in the present work failed to enhance germination.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Echinocereus. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Dry storage

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

None of these gave more than 5%, over 1-2 years of alternating cycles; abrasion did not help either.

This source doesn't state how long.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, EchinocereusPublic domain
Show the original text
Echinocereus (Cactaceae). The discovery that GA-3 was required for the germination of seeds of E. pectinatus hybrids (E. baileyi, pectinatus, and reichenbachii) led to the recognition that fungál products of the gibberelin type are natural requirements for germination … Prior treatments seem to have little effect, and germination was about the same for fresh seeds (51% in 1-14 w), seeds that had been DS up to 3 y (44% in 1-14w), and seeds that had been exposed to outdoor treatment for up to 3 y (45% in 1-14 w). A second sample germ. 80% with fresh seed, and the detailed rate data are presented in Chapter 19. … Prior to the, use of GA-3 a number Of treatments were tried varying times at 40 and 70 and varying the DS. None of these treatments gave more than 5% germination and germination extended over 1-2 y of alternating cycles. … when the capsule first splits, the capsule is collected and the seeds washed free of the sweet pulp. It has been claimed that scarification effects immediate germination, but all abrasion experiments in the present work failed to enhance germination.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Echinocereus. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.