€74,20

🌱 Morphology

It is a solitary cactus, with a globose to short-cylindrical body, which can reach approximately 1 m in height and 30 cm in diameter. It has around 13–20 ribs, which become more pronounced as the plant ages. The areoles are elongated and quite close together.

The most striking feature is its intensely red central spines, usually about 4 per areole. The two upper and lower central ones are flattened and especially wide, reaching about 6 mm and sometimes more than 1 cm in width. The radial spines are whitish, usually around 10–14.

🌍 Habitat and geographical distribution

This subspecies has a very restricted distribution in Baja California, Mexico. It is known from the area between Punta Prieta and Miller's Landing, where it grows at low altitudes on rocky slopes and gravel plains. It belongs to the family Cactaceae. 

❄️ USDA Zone and minimum cultivation temperatures

As a cultivation reference, it can be placed approximately in USDA 9b–11. Some commercial sources indicate occasional resistance down to about −2 °C, provided the plant remains completely dry, so this figure should not be interpreted as a safe minimum temperature for all conditions.

☀️ Lighting

It needs full sun during growth. Intense lighting is essential to maintain the compact shape of the body and, especially, to achieve dense, well-colored spination. As a practical goal for a mature plant in active growth, approximately 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR is recommended. 

💧 Growth cycle and watering

Winter dormancy. It mainly grows in spring-summer. During the active phase, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again.

Originating from a desert area of Baja California, its ability to withstand dry periods is high. However, during active growth, adequate water availability promotes the development of the body and new spination. From autumn onwards, watering should be gradually spaced out until suspended during winter. The substrate must remain completely dry throughout dormancy.

🌸 Flowering

The flowers are bell-shaped, with a characteristic coloration for the group: yellow tones with a reddish or purple central band on the corolla segments predominate. In this subspecies, the flowers appear to have less red pigmentation than those of F. gracilis subsp. gracilis, and the segments are somewhat more obtuse.

Flowering occurs mainly from late spring to summer, approximately between May and August in Northern Hemisphere conditions. For Madrid, June and July would be the most probable months.

🌿 Nutrition

During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended. Its contribution of assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgor, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll formation.

This is an inimitable xerophytic plant cultivated in Madrid in a technological pot and with the specific Desert SOIL substrate.

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