Horridocactus jussieui (Monv. ex Salm-Dyck) Lodé

🌱 Morphology
Globose to slightly elongated cactus, generally solitary, although it may produce basal offshoots with age. The body is dark green, almost blackish in color, and reaches approximately 6–9 cm in diameter. It has 13 well-defined ribs, arranged longitudinally and divided into relatively marked tubercles. The areoles are separated from each other and provided with fine tomentum. The spination is one of its most characteristic features: it develops thick, brownish to dark brown spines, generally curved upwards, with several radial and central spines; the central ones can reach approximately 3–6 cm in length. In mature specimens, the spines can cover much of the body, creating a compact and highly characteristic silhouette.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is endemic to Chile, where it is found mainly in the middle and upper Elqui Valley, in the Coquimbo Region, in inland areas with an arid climate. It grows on stony slopes and mineral terrain of the transverse mountain ranges, frequently among xerophytic scrub and in very well-draining soils. Populations are known from low elevations up to approximately 900–1000 m above sea level. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Cactoideae.

The name Horridocactus jussieui is the one used by Joël Lodé, who revived the genus Horridocactus and made this new combination. The basionym is Echinocactus jussieui Monv. ex Salm-Dyck. Previous studies had placed these populations within Eriosyce, but Lodé considers Horridocactus an independent genus.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −7 ºC when dry and with well-acclimatized specimens. In cultivation, it must be protected from humidity during cold spells, as it originates from arid environments where drainage is very rapid.

☀️ Lighting
It requires direct sun and very intense lighting to maintain its compact body and develop abundant spination. Intense exposure also favors the dark coloration of the spines and prevents excessively elongated growth. As a 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 cold period, it should be kept dry. In spring and summer, growth resumes and it can be watered abundantly but spaced out, allowing the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In its habitat, rainfall is scarce and irregular, so in cultivation, deep watering followed by a dry period is preferable to small, frequent amounts.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear in the apical area and are relatively large in relation to the body, approximately 3–4.5 cm. They feature perianth segments in yellowish to yellow-reddish tones, with more intense coloration towards the central area, and a short floral tube covered with small scales and wool. Flowering occurs mainly during spring and early summer. The fruits are fleshy and acquire reddish tones when ripe.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium 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 high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated by mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

9x9 cm pot