€132,50

Echinocactus platyacanthus Link & Otto

🌱 Morphology
   One of the largest barrel cacti of the Mexican flora: very slow-growing, it can reach up to 2–2.5 m in height and about 1–1.5 m in diameter with a longevity exceeding a century. The body transitions from globose to broadly cylindrical, with a grayish-green epidermis and very numerous, deeply marked ribs; adult specimens can exceed 40 ribs. The areoles produce flattened, yellowish, reddish, or brownish spines, with up to 4 central spines of 5–10 cm and about 8–10 radial ones of 3–4 cm. The apex, sunken and densely covered by yellowish wool, protects the flower buds.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to Mexico, from Nuevo León to Oaxaca, with significant populations in the Chihuahuan Desert and the semiarid valleys of the center and south of the country, including the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley. It lives in xerophilous scrub, especially on stony slopes and limestone substrates, from low areas to locations near 2,100 m. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, and Cacteae tribe. It is considered Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN and protected in Mexico.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −5 ºC when dry and with well-acclimated specimens. In pots, it is advisable to be more conservative and especially avoid substrate moisture during frosts.

☀️ Lighting
It needs direct sun and very intense light to maintain compact growth and properly develop its characteristic woolly crown. During active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended, with progressive acclimatization for young specimens.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. Keep dry during the cold months. In spring, resume watering progressively, and during the warm season, it is recommended to water deeply, letting the substrate dry out completely before the next application. In its habitat, reproductive activity coincides with the rise in temperature and the beginning of the rains.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers are vivid yellow, diurnal, about 5–7 cm, and appear amidst the wool of the apex. The species needs to reach considerable maturity and size to flower. At least 10–15 years. Its phenology is particularly interesting: a field study recorded three flowering periods in the same season—late April, early June, and early July—separated by approximately one month. Therefore, it can indeed be considered reflowering within the same season, with three documented pulses. The flowers are protandrous, and medium-sized bees are their main pollinators.

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

This is an inimitable xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

Large specimen: 30 cm bowl 

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The plant's measurements are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because, after all, it is a living thing! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.

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