A knuckle-sized cactus that only the harshest gypsum soils can grow.
The Siler pincushion cactus (Pediocactus sileri) is a small, tough survivor of the gypsum country of southwestern Utah and northern Arizona. Easy to walk right past, it's one of the four federally listed species that Washington County specifically surveys for within Zone 6.
Small but striking
This is a low, barrel-shaped cactus ringed with hooked spines. In spring it's crowned with a flush of pinkish to straw-colored blooms - a brief, bright reward for finding one at the right moment.
A gypsum life
Like the bear-poppy, the Siler pincushion is a gypsum specialist, tied to the same pale, mineral soils that make this desert so unusual. Those soils are rare, and so is anything that depends on them.
Slow and vulnerable
Desert cacti grow slowly and recover slowly. Illegal collection, off-road vehicles, and development on gypsum ground are the main threats to a plant that can't quickly replace what's lost.
One of the surveyed four
Along with the desert tortoise, dwarf bear-poppy, and Shivwits milkvetch, the Siler pincushion cactus is one of the four federally listed species surveyed within Zone 6 - a marker of just how much rare life this ground holds.
One rare neighbor among many
The Siler pincushion cactus shares this desert with a whole community of rare life. Protecting the land protects all of it.
Page for the Save Greater Moe's Valley effort. The Siler pincushion cactus is federally threatened; never collect or disturb wild cacti, and stay on established trails.