Continuing the native plant theme of the last few weeks, here are two more interesting specimens.

First is a strawberry hedgehog cactus. I’m not sure that’s what it really is, but that is what we call it. I posted about it previously.

Whatever this plant is, it certainly looks like a strawberry hedgehog! It’s low and squat, only about 3 inches tall and almost a perfect circle. It’s covered in mean-looking spines – that’s the hedgehog part. The strawberry part is self-explanatory.

If it is a strawberry hedgehog, then the botanical name is Echinocereus engelmannii. I’m not positive about the identification because most of the photos I can online don’t look like this, although some do.

That’s the problem with common names. A strawberry hedgehog in one part of the world may be different from a strawberry hedgehog in another. The botanical names are unique.

Strawberry Hedgehog

Here’s a close-up of the strawberries. They look quite tasty.

Closeup of Strawberry Hedgehog Fruit

Here’s another beautiful native wildflower, the Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella). This plant grows to about 1 or 2 feet tall. Some varieties are completely yellow. It attracts butterflies. It’s a well-adapted native and requires little care or maintenance. It grows wild around our house and long the roads.

Indian Blanket