Consolea rubescens | Roadkill cactus
€21,20
Consolea rubescens (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Lem.
🌱 Morphology
Arborescent cactus with an erect and highly branched growth habit, capable of reaching up to approximately 6 m in height. The trunk is cylindrical at the base and becomes progressively compressed towards the top. The terminal segments are extraordinarily flat, elongated, and oval, measuring up to about 25 cm, and are dark green, which can take on reddish or purplish hues. The areoles, spaced approximately 1–1.5 cm apart, produce glochids and white spines, generally 1–6 cm long, although some may be almost unarmed.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native to Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands, where it grows from sea level up to about 50 m, mainly in seasonally dry tropical environments, scrublands, and coastal areas. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Opuntioideae subfamily, and Opuntieae tribe.
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 10b
Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −1 ºC under very dry conditions and for short periods, but it is recommended to avoid frost and the combination of cold and humidity.
☀️ Lighting
Requires very intense lighting and direct sunlight, with gradual acclimation. High radiation promotes the compactness of the segments and can intensify their reddish tones. As a general guide during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the warm period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. With low temperatures, water supply should be drastically reduced.
🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear on the upper segments and are yellow-orange, turning reddish upon ripening, measuring up to about 6 cm in length. It subsequently produces fleshy, reddish, oval to globose fruits.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with high assimilable calcium content and low nitrogen levels, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae, is recommended, applied once a month during watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
📏 Gourmet xerophyte in 10x10 cm, 13x13 cm, and 18x18 cm pots.
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The plant measurements are specified in the photo description, but these may also vary slightly because, after all, it is a living thing! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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