Cochemiea dioica

Common Names

Strawberry Cactus, California Fishhook Cactus, Fishhook Cactus, Strawberry Pincushion, Nipple Cactus, Coastal Fishhook Cactus

Summary

Strawberry Cactus, commonly called California Fishhook Cactus or Strawberry pincushion, is native to California and Baja California in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, from San Diego County to Magdalena Bay, at elevations around 10 to 1,500 meters. It forms a cylindrical, solitary or clump forming cactus up to about 33 cm tall and 3 to 7 cm in diameter, with blue-green tubercles, woolly axils, 11 to 22 radial spines and 1 to 4 central spines; flowers are white to cream and 1 to 3 cm long, and fruits are scarlet red with black seeds.

Preferring very well-drained mineral soil, it grows in full sun or filtered indoor light and requires a dry winter rest with sparing watering. Hardiness appears brief to about minus four degrees Celsius, with best growth above five degrees Celsius, and propagation is possible by seeds or offsets. Often grown in pots and raised beds for drought tolerant gardens and rockeries, it is also cultivated ornamentally; fruits are edible and eaten raw by the Kumeyaay people.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-13 inches

Spread

1.5-3 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 9a-11b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun (or filtered light indoors).

Soil Type

Very well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Very well-drained, open, free-draining mineral substrate with little organic matter

Bloom Color

White to yellowish white

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Blue-green

Growth Rate

Slow growth, offsets after several years, can fill a 25 cm pot in a few years under optimal conditions

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings