€79,50

🌱 Morphology
  Giant of the Andes... A cactus of imposing stature, initially solitary, though with age it may branch from the base and form clusters. The stems are globose, ovoid to cylindrical, light green to bluish-green in color, and can reach approximately 1.5 m in height and 25–50 cm in diameter. It presents between 27 and 50 rounded ribs, deeply marked by furrows and tubercles. The dark areoles are very close to one another and produce between 9 and 15 radial spines, along with 2–9 yellowish, reddish, or brownish central spines, some of them up to 20 cm in length.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Its distribution encompasses northwestern Argentina, Bolivia, and northern Chile, where it inhabits dry and stony Andean environments, reaching altitudes above 4,000 m. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, and Trichocereeae tribe. The name used follows the classification by Joël Lodé in Taxonomy of the Cactaceae, volumes III–VI, 2026. Among its historical names are Echinocactus formosus, Lobivia formosa, Trichocereus formosus, and Echinopsis formosa.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 7b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −15 ºC in dry, well-acclimatized specimens protected from persistent humidity. Its Andean origin explains its high resistance to cold.

☀️ Lighting
It requires a very bright exposure, preferably in full sun. High light intensity promotes compact growth, well-developed spination, and abundant flowering. As a guideline during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During spring and summer, it undergoes active growth and it is recommended to water abundantly, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings. In autumn, water intake is progressively reduced until it is kept completely dry during the winter. For specimens from high-altitude areas, dry cold is much more favorable than a combination of low temperatures and humidity.

🌸 Flowering
It produces large, broadly bell-shaped flowers, approximately 6–9 cm in length and diameter, which appear near the apex and open during the day. Their coloration is a brilliant white that reveals a yellow throat due to the multitude of stamens, creating a spectacular contrast with the bluish-green body and spination. The fruits are globose, green, up to about 3 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter.

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

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

40 cm tub

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