Texas Wildbuds

Escobaria tuberculosa

(Whitecolumn Foxtail Cactus)

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Escobaria tuberculosa, Rio Grande Village-Hot Springs Trail, Big Bend National Park 5485

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Escobaia tuberculosa, Rio Grande Village-Hot Springs Trail, Big Bend National Park 5462

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Escobaria tuberculosa, Rio Grande Village-Hot Springs Trail, Big Bend National Park 3227

Scientific Name Escobaria tuberculosa (Coryphantha tuberculosa var. tuberculosa, Mammillaria tuberculosa) USDA PLANTS Symbol ESTU
Common Name Whitecolumn Foxtail Cactus, Cob Beehive Cactus ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. 202466
Family Cactaceae (Cactus) SEINet
Reference		 Click Here
Description Habitat: Limestone mountainsides, ridges and outcrops; 1600 to 5900 feet elevation.
Plant: Clumps of branched cylindric stems; older, lower portion without spines and resembling pineapple or a corncob.
Pads & Spines: Cylindric stems 2 to 6 inches long with tubercles; 1 to 3 or more central spines per areole, 1/2 to 3/4-inch long, second (lower) of two spines is always shorter than other (upper); 17 to 25 light gray radial spines 1/2-inch or less long; tips of larfer spines gray, tan or darker brown.
Inflorescence: Funnel-shaped flowers at tops of stems, 3/4 to 1-5/8 inches across with pale pink to nearly white tepals curving back; white stigma lobes and white or pale yellow anthers (shorter than stigma); flowers open mid-late afternoon and remain open until after dusk.
Bloom Period: April to August, sometimes again after rains.
Fruit: Oval-shaped, 3/8 to 1 inch long and 1/4-inch or less across, dull to bright red at maturity, greenish before.
References: "Little Big Bend" by Roy Morey, "Cacti of Texas" by Powell, Weedin and Powell, Wildflower Center and Flora of North America.
Note: Plant in photos was found by chance at the overlook on the Rio Grande Village-Hot Springs Trail in late October at dusk.		 BONAP Distribution Map

Map Color Key		 Texas Status:
Native
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Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County

© Tom Lebsack 2025