This little flattened/globose cactus is from Argentina. As with most of my other Gymnos the flower only opens up fully with sun blasting on it all day, which means not all my flowers open up all the way, (See earlier post,
"Clouds")
It's an easy species to grow, just water it a lot in summer and keep it dry in the winter. I keep it in full sun and it keeps putting out buds. This species is supposed to be frost resistant in the winter on the condition you keep it dry. I'm sure what's meant by that isn't a NY winter filled with perpetual frost, so I won't be trying to leave it outside. Cultivation advice like that probably is more directed to people growing in zone 7 or 8 and warmer.
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| 1st flower of the season |
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| Double flowers |
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| Most recent flower |
With the amount of water it tolerates and possible frost, this is a great cactus, especially for beginners as it seems pretty forgiving. The small size, (up to 13cm or about 5 inches) means it'll fit in your windowsill over the winter if you live in a colder climate like me.
Sounds like the perfect cactus, and the double blooms look great and the spines don't look too dangerous! Do the flowers come in other colours?
ReplyDeleteIt really is a great cactus that way! Red or pink flowers are what's normally produced with this species. However, there are a ton of hybrids with a range of colors if you wanted something similar in habit but with different colored flowers.
DeleteCongrats on beautiful flower or 2! Nice info as well. LT
ReplyDelete