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Committee hears bill to name Pediocactus nigraspinous the Washington state cactus; supporters cite conservation and education
Summary
Senate Bill 5,325 would designate Pediocactus nigraspinous (commonly called basalt or hedgehog cactus) as the state cactus; supporters including schoolchildren, growers and conservation groups said the designation would raise awareness of fragile shrub‑steppe habitat and promote protection.
Senate Bill 5,325 would designate Pediocactus nigraspinous — commonly called basalt cactus, hedgehog cactus or Columbia Plateau cactus — as Washington's official state cactus, witnesses told the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee.
Backers said the plant is native to parts of Eastern Washington and nearby states, has distinctive pink flowers, and grows in fragile shrub‑steppe and basalt-derived soils; they said a formal designation would increase public awareness and support conservation and rescue programs.
Connor Schiff, committee staff, described the species and its range in his staff report: the cactus "grows in lowland and sage brush deserts throughout Eastern Oregon, West Central Idaho, and Central And Eastern Washington," reaches heights of 5 to 30 centimeters, and flowers from April to July.
Sen. Shelly Short (testimony identified sponsor as Sen. Warnecke in the transcript) said the measure was brought by a Kittitas County grade-school class two years ago and returned to the Legislature to teach civic engagement and to highlight the cactus' role in supporting pollinators that benefit agriculture.
Multiple conservation and botanical witnesses supported the bill. Adam File, sustainable development manager for Benton County, said the designation would draw attention to vulnerable high-elevation shrub‑steppe landscapes in central Washington. Phan Cantyavong of Volunteer Park Conservatory described plans for a display highlighting native cacti and said the conservatory supports designation to promote protection and education.
Ron Baukelman, who has studied the cactus' natural history, urged designation to raise awareness that the species' biotic crust and shrub‑steppe habitat are easily disturbed, and suggested designation could spur rescue and salvage programs to prevent unethical digging or poaching. Growers and enthusiasts, including Kai Risen and representatives of the Cascade Cactus and Succulent Society, said cultivation programs and seed propagation can provide alternatives to removing plants from the wild.
Students from Discovery Lab testified in favor, describing the cactus' role in supporting pollinators and other shrub‑steppe species. Witnesses noted threats to the habitat including wildfire, development and poaching; several urged educational outreach and ethically managed cultivation as complements to designation.
No formal vote was recorded in the transcript. Proponents asked the committee to advance the bill to the House for a vote.
Clarifying details included the plant's narrow range, its slow growth and vulnerability (testimony said individuals can take many years to flower and may live for decades), that designation is intended primarily to raise awareness and promote protective programs rather than impose regulatory protections, and that proponents plan museum and educational displays if the bill passes.
