Azureocereus hertlingianus (Browningia hertlingiana) | Chunay. Blue candle
€21,20
🌱 Morphology
Arborescent cactus with a columnar habit, which can branch with age and reach several meters in height. Young stems display a characteristic blue-green coloration, especially intense under high light levels. It develops approximately 15–18 low, tuberculate ribs with slightly sunken areoles. The spines are strong and relatively long: it has 1–3 central spines that can reach about 8 cm, accompanied by several radial ones. With age, it develops a very characteristic tree-like structure.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is endemic to Peru, where it is mainly distributed throughout the inter-Andean valleys of the Mantaro and the regions of Ayacucho and Huancavelica. It grows at an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 3,000 m, on the dry slopes of the inter-Andean valleys, associated with dry forests and open areas, on stony or sandy soils. It belongs to the Cactaceae family.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 10a–11b
It is a warm-climate cactus that is not known for its frost resistance. It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −1 ºC occasionally, provided it is kept completely dry and well-acclimatized. In Mediterranean cultivation, it is recommended to protect it during winter against frost and, especially, against the combination of cold and humidity.
☀️ Lighting
During active growth, it requires very intense lighting, with an approximate goal of 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR. It tolerates direct sun once acclimatized, and high radiation favors the characteristic blue-green hue of the young stems. Specimens grown under protection must be progressively adapted to direct sun.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During spring and summer, it maintains active growth and can be watered abundantly, allowing the substrate to dry completely before watering again. In winter, watering must be drastically reduced and kept practically dry, especially if temperatures are low. Its origin in dry inter-Andean valleys makes it especially important to avoid waterlogging.
🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear near the apex during the summer. They are white, nocturnal, and tubular, about 5 cm in diameter, with a perianth provided with small scales. In their habitat, they are pollinated by bats. In Madrid, they can mainly be expected between June and August. The fruits are dry, globose, and about 2.5 cm in diameter.
🌿 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® Cactáceas, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:
9x9 cm
S -> 9cm x 9cm
M-> 14cm x 14 cm
L->16cm x 16 cm
* 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 it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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