Ferocactus glaucescens | Blue Barrel Cactus
€58,30
🌵 Morphology: A globular cactus that can become short-cylindrical with age, reaching about 45–50 cm in height and up to 50–60 cm in diameter. It can remain solitary or form clumps through basal branching. The stem has a characteristic bluish-green or glaucous color, due to the waxy layer covering the epidermis. It has acute, non-tuberculate ribs and oblong areoles very close to each other, almost conjoined. It normally develops 6–8 yellow, acicular radial spines, and may have a central spine, although it is absent in some specimens.
🌍 Habitat and geographical distribution: It is an endemic species of Mexico, distributed in the states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí, in the center and northeast of the country. It mainly grows on slopes and limestone outcrops, in dry forest and xerophilous scrub areas, approximately between 550 and 2,300 m above sea level. Kew currently accepts Ferocactus glaucescens as a species. It belongs to the family Cactaceae.
❄️ USDA Zone and minimum cultivation temperatures: It can be placed approximately in USDA 9a–11. It is a species that tolerates low temperatures when kept completely dry. In Mediterranean cultivation, it is recommended to keep it dry during winter and it can withstand temperatures close to -4 °C under these conditions.
☀️ PAR Illumination: It needs very high illumination to maintain its intense glaucous coloration, compact growth, and good spination. An approximate target of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR during active growth is recommended. This range is a horticultural estimate, as no specific published DLI value is available for the species. Once acclimatized, it perfectly tolerates full sun.
💧 Growth cycle and watering: It has winter dormancy, with growth concentrated mainly during the warm months. In Madrid, it is advisable to start watering in spring, when night temperatures are stable, performing abundant watering and allowing the substrate to dry completely before re-watering. During the summer, this cycle can be maintained as long as drainage is fast. From late summer, watering should be gradually reduced until suspended in autumn. During winter, it should remain completely dry.
🌸 Flowering: It produces bell-shaped flowers, approximately 1.8–3 cm long and up to 3.5 cm in diameter. They are mainly yellow, with the outer perianth segments marked by brownish or reddish tones and a yellow margin. The filaments and style are also yellow. In Spain, the Botanical Garden of Malaga records flowering mainly between June and August, so in Madrid, it can be expected during the summer, especially in adult specimens well exposed to the sun.
🌿 Nutrition: During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas is recommended, with NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) formulation: 4% N, 4% P₂O₅, 7% K₂O, 4% CaO, and 4% MgO, in addition to micronutrients. The supply of assimilable calcium, equal to nitrogen, contributes to maintaining turgor, while magnesium promotes the proper physiological functioning of the plant. It is recommended to apply by watering once a month from April to September, suspending fertilization during winter dormancy.
This is an inimitable xerophyte cultivated in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the specific Desert SOIL substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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