Graham’s Nipple Cactus Mammillaria grahamii belongs to the cactus family Cactaceae and is commonly referred to as the Arizona Fishhook Cactus or Graham Pincushion Cactus.
This small cactus features spherical to short cylindrical stems that may grow solitarily or in small clusters. Each stem is adorned with tightly packed tubercles (“nipples”) from which emerge radial spines—17 to 35 per areole—usually whitish to tan, and central spines (1–4 per areole), some hooked and ranging from reddish-brown to almost black.
Around late spring to early summer (April–May, sometimes extending to July), it produces striking, funnel-shaped flowers encircling the stem apex. These blooms vary in color from lavender-pink to reddish-purple, and occasionally almost white. Following flowering, the plant develops juicy, spherical to barrel-shaped fruits that mature from green to vivid red, persisting well into cooler months.
Graham’s Nipple Cactus is native to the Southwestern United States—including Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas—and extends into northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora). It thrives in arid environments, favoring desert scrub, grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, alluvial slopes, and rocky soils at elevations from about 300 to 1,400 meters (1,000–4,500 feet).
Historically, indigenous communities—including the Apache and Akimel O’odham —used the fruits as snacks (especially for children), and even applied boiled preparations to relieve earaches. The species holds salvage-restricted status in Arizona, reflecting its ecological sensitivity and the necessity for protective handling in the wild.