Astrophytum capricorne ‘Kihon Gyoku’ | 'Kihon Gyoku' Goat's Horn
€10,60
🌱 Morphology
Cultivar selected in Japan for its special spination. Solitary cactus with a globose body that can become short-cylindrical with age, up to about 15–20 cm in diameter and taller in adult specimens. It generally presents 7–9 very prominent ribs with sharp edges, with large, spaced-out areoles. The green epidermis is covered by numerous small white trichomes that give it a grayish appearance. The areoles develop several long, flexible, yellowish, brown, or almost black spines, which in this cultivar are denser, twisted, and messy, resembling a goat's horns.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to northeastern Mexico, mainly in Coahuila and Nuevo León, where it is part of the xerophytic vegetation of the Chihuahuan Desert. It grows on rocky terrain and limestone slopes, among xerophytic scrub, at an altitude of approximately 500 to 1,300 m. It belongs to the Cactaceae family.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 8b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −7 ºC if it remains completely dry and is properly acclimated. During winter, it is recommended to keep it dormant and with the substrate dry.
☀️ Lighting
It needs very intense lighting during active growth and several hours of direct sun. An approximate target of 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR allows for compact growth and promotes the formation of its characteristic spination.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. Its growth is concentrated mainly from spring to early autumn. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry out completely before the next watering. In winter, it enters dormancy and should be kept practically dry. Excess moisture, especially in low temperatures, promotes the appearance of root problems.
🌸 Flowering
It produces large flowers, approximately 6–7 cm in diameter, bright yellow with a reddish inner throat. They develop at the apex and can appear repeatedly during the warm period. In Madrid, flowering mainly begins between May and July. It may rebloom several times per season.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cacti, 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 technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
Xerophyte in a 9x9cm gourmet black pot
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