€10,60

🌱 Morphology
Generally solitary cactus, relatively slow-growing, with a globose to slightly cylindrical, grayish-green stem that can reach about 15–20 cm in diameter and up to 60 cm in height in exceptional specimens. It features 16–20 prominent ribs, divided into small tubercles or humps. The areoles are oval and produce between 10 and 20 flexible, straight or slightly curved spines, initially yellowish or brownish, which acquire grayish tones with age.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native to northwestern Argentina, with populations in Catamarca, Córdoba, La Rioja, San Luis, and Santiago del Estero. It lives in Monte and Chaco shrublands, always associated with mountainous terrain and subjected to cold winters. It belongs to the Cactaceae family. Joël Lodé maintains Acanthocalycium spiniflorum as an independent species.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −7 ºC when dry and in well-acclimated specimens. During cold spells, it must be kept completely dry.

☀️ Lighting
It requires direct sun and very intense lighting to maintain compact growth and encourage abundant flowering. A DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended during active growth, with progressive acclimatization.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During winter, it must remain dry. In spring and summer, abundant, spaced-out watering should resume, allowing the substrate to dry completely between waterings. The species tolerates dry cold, but excess humidity combined with low temperatures promotes rot.

🌸 Flowering
It produces numerous diurnal flowers, about 4–5 cm in diameter, with shades ranging from white and pink to purple or violet. Flowering is concentrated in summer and can be very abundant. It flowers starting at 3–4 years of age. It can produce several flowers successively during the season, making it practically reblooming under suitable conditions. No sufficiently reliable confirmation of its self-fertility has been found, so it is recommended to have pollen from another specimen to ensure seed production.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low nitrogen levels, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae, is recommended, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technical square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

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