Aylostera pygmaea | Dwarf cactus.
€7,95
🌱 Morphology
A miniature that fits in any space... A small, slow-growing Aylostera, usually cespitose, which forms small clusters over time. The stems are globose, depressed, or shortly cylindrical, ranging from grayish-green to dark green, and reach up to about 6 cm in height and 4 cm in diameter. They possess a highly developed taproot, often larger than the aerial part. It presents 9–15 low ribs, barely divided into tubercles, and small areoles with 2–11 short, white, yellowish, or brown radial spines, barely 2–6 mm long. The species is extraordinarily variable in coloration, spination, and flowers.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is distributed throughout the mountains of Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, where it grows among rocks and high-altitude grasslands, subject to a marked alternation between rainy summers and cold, dry winters. It is currently considered a species of Least Concern (LC).
Family Cactaceae · Subfamily Cactoideae · Tribe Cereeae
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −12 ºC for brief periods and with the substrate completely dry. Cold resistance increases considerably when the plant enters dormancy and remains completely dry.
☀️ Lighting
It needs plenty of light. Soft direct sun or bright semi-shade is recommended, especially during very hot summers. Intense lighting promotes a more compact epidermis, tanned tones, and abundant flowering. A PAR radiation of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ (DLI) is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During active growth, it is recommended to water moderately to abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely between waterings. The taproot is sensitive to excess moisture. From autumn onwards, supply is gradually reduced until it is kept completely dry during the winter.
🌸 Flowering
It produces large flowers in relation to its small size, 1.6–2.7 cm in length, with extremely variable colors: white, pink, red, salmon, orange, yellow, or violet. They are born laterally, forming a crown around the base of the stem, and appear mainly from late spring to summer. It is a relatively easy-flowering Aylostera once it reaches maturity.
🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended once a month along with watering. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:
S -> 9cm x 9cm
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because, after all, it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.
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