This was another Home Depot rescue. I wish I had taken a picture of it when I got it, but that was last year and I didn't think to. It was severely dehydrated, to the point where it had caved in around the base from the cells collapsing. I decided I'd try to nurse it back to health. Worst case scenario I could cut off the top and try to re-root it.
Best case scenario it would rehydrate and be fine, sure enough it is almost completely round again. It also bloomed twice already this year, and is working on another one. Although Costa Farms doesn't label their plants sent to HD, at least Matucana madisoniorum is an easily recognizable species. One feature is it's unusually textured epidermis. It's rough, but kind of like short hard fuzz. It may have spines, be totally spineless, or a bit of both. It's ribs also make it look a lot like Lophophora species, especially the spineless ones.
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| Side view, you can see the rib shape and occasional spineless areole. |
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| Close up of the flower |
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| Rear view, you can also see where it was still sunken in on one side from dehydration. |
I can grow this one in full sun here, it gets shade only for about 2 hours a day, tops, as the sun moves around a large tree in the back yard. I haven't repotted it yet as I usually do with all new purchases. It hasn't fully recovered so I'm taking the risk of leaving it be until next spring. I won't be watering it at all in a few months so it won't matter what it's potted in over the winter.
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| Bloom #2 |
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| Finally starting to look fully hydrated and round again |
Quite a stunning looking cactus with its porcupine-thorns, and the flower, like most cactus flowers is superb and dramatic. Congrats on giving it a new lease of life, and by the looks of things, you did a fab job. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, I figured it was worth a gamble for how cheap it was.
DeleteI have gone back over a number of your postings and I do say, there are some interesting plants growing in your apartment. You do well with them. I have a few I bring in for the Winter. The succulents and tropicals are so different than what I can grow here on the shores of Lake Michigan so they always add to the conversation of visitors. Glad to have visited your blog today. Jack
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Jack. It does make it more difficult growing tropicals in colder zones like ours, but where's the fun if there isn't a challenge? Your garden is gorgeous by the way!
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