Bergerocactus emoryi

Golden-spined cereus, Golden-Spined Cereus

Family: Cactaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Golden-spined cereus is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native shrub found in southern coastal California, including San Diego County and southern Channel Islands, in sandy open hills at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to June, this cactus produces yellow flowers with red-tipped petals and green midveins, measuring 3.5 to 5 centimeters across. Growing to 2 meters tall with many branches, it forms dense thickets with a sprawling or ascending habit, completely covered in a striking golden-yellow spine array. Its stems are cylindrical and soft-fleshy, featuring 12 to 18 prominent ribs and dense spines numbering 30 to 45 per areole, with central spines up to 60 millimeters long and curved. The fruit is spherical, fleshy, and densely spiny, eventually drying and extruding black, shiny seeds.

Habitat: Sandy open hills, coastal only

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: SCo (San Diego Co.), s ChI

California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Alameda

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.