€26,50

🌱 Morphology
A slow-growing cultivar that eventually forms dense, low clusters via basal offsets. The stems are globose to clavate, depressed, dark green, and up to about 10 cm in height. The tubercles are fleshy, cylindrical, and relatively long, green in color, with the apex often slightly reddish. The distinguishing feature of ‘Bru’ is its 4–5 very short, thick, orange spines, which are initially yellow and arranged around the apex of the tubercles to form a small cross. This is a very different appearance from that of the wild subspecies, which is normally provided with much longer, flexible, and curved radial spines. It was selected by the Spanish agricultural engineer Luis Bru at his cactus nursery in Murcia.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
‘Bru’ is a cultivar of horticultural origin, so it does not have a natural distribution of its own. Its progenitor, Mammillaria decipiens subsp. camptotricha, is endemic to Mexico and is found in the state of Querétaro, mainly in the xerophilous scrub of the central region, between about 1300 and 2300 m. The subspecies is characterized by its elongated tubercles, flexible and curved radial spines, and the usual absence of central spines.

Family Cactaceae · Subfamily Cactoideae · Tribe Cacteae 

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −5 ºC for short periods and with the substrate completely dry. In this short-spined selection, it is particularly advisable to avoid prolonged humidity during cold spells.

☀️ Lighting
Plenty of light and sun are recommended, with protection from the most intense direct sun during peak radiation hours in mid-summer. An approximate PAR DLI of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ promotes compact growth and good spine coloration.

💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Winter dormancy. During active growth, it is recommended to water deeply and allow the substrate to dry out completely before the next watering. In autumn, watering should be progressively reduced until the plant is kept dry throughout the winter. Its large tuberous root makes a very well-draining substrate especially important.

🌸 Flowering
It produces small, white, slightly fragrant flowers, bell-shaped or infundibuliform, approximately 1.5–1.8 cm in size, which emerge between the tubercles. The natural flowering of the subspecies occurs mainly between September and December, although under cultivation it may appear during the summer and extend into other periods depending on conditions. No reliable data has been found regarding the age of first flowering. The subspecies is self-incompatible, so an isolated specimen does not produce seeds through self-fertilization.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended once a month along with irrigation. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.

🪴 Pot
8x8 cm gourmet black pot

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

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the dimensions of the plant, but this may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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