Taxon Report

Sclerocactus johnsonii (Parry) N.P. Taylor

Johnson's bee-hive cactus

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Sclerocactus johnsonii, commonly known as Johnson's bee-hive cactus, is a perennial stem in the Cactaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 500 to 1200 meters. Sclerocactus johnsonii is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Sclerocactus johnsonii (Parry) N.P. Taylor
Common Name:	Johnson's bee-hive cactus
Family:	Cactaceae
Element Code:	PDCAC0J0H0
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial stem
Blooming Period: Apr-May	Apr-May
Elevation:	500-1200 (1640-3935)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	IUCN_LC; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	16
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	6
Fair (C)	2
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Clark Mtn. (3511555), East of Ryan (3611635), Echo Canyon (3611646), North of Tecopa Pass (3511681), Ryan (3611636), Tecopa Pass (3511671)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	9	56 %
Non-native plant impacts	5	31%
Over-collecting/poaching	3	18%
ORV activity	2	12%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	2	12%
Development	1	6%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	6%

Notes



Possibly threatened by horticultural collecting. See Botany of the King Exploration, p. 117 (1871) for original description, and Bradleya 5:94 (1984) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 13 November 2025].