Opuntia macrocentra "Marie" | 'Marie' violet prickly pear, purple ears
ā¬7,95
š± Morphology
Ā There are Opuntias that change color with the cold; this one seems to have autumn built-in. āMarieā is a cultivar of Opuntia macrocentra that is especially prized for the intensity with which its cladodes acquire violet, purple, and even almost black tones when temperatures drop and there is high sun exposure.
The cladodes are flat, thick, and have an obovate to almost circular outline, with a bluish-green color during the growth period. The areoles can have glochids and long spines, especially towards the upper part of the segments. The intensity of the purple coloration depends on the combination of cold, light, and water status.
āMarieā is marketed as a clone/cultivar of O. macrocentra. No reliable botanical documentation has been found that establishes it as a hybrid or that allows for the identification of different parents from the species itself.
š Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Cactaceae, subfamily Opuntioideae. As it is a cultivar, āMarieā does not have its own natural distribution. The species Opuntia macrocentra is native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico, where it grows in deserts and open arid scrublands.
The species shows a marked adaptation to dry continental environments with high solar radiation and large temperature fluctuations.
āļøĀ Temperature ā USDA Zone 8bā11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to ā10 ĀŗC in dry conditions and with perfectly drained substrate. For āMarieā, there are also European commercial references that attribute considerably higher resistance to it, even down to ā20 ĀŗC or lower, but sufficient experimental evidence has not been found to use those figures as general botanical data.
āļø Lighting
Full sun. During active growth, high light availability is recommended, with a target of approximately 18ā25 mol/mĀ²/day of DLI PAR. Intense light, especially when combined with cool temperatures, encourages the appearance of the characteristic purple tones of the cladodes.
š§ Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the active growth period, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry completely before watering again. In winter, with low temperatures, it should be kept practically dry. The combination of cold and prolonged humidity around the roots is much more dangerous than dry cold.
šø Flowering
The flowers are yellow and appear mainly during the spring. In cultivation in Madrid, flowering can occur approximately between May and June, coinciding with the active growth period. The species flowers once a year during the spring in natural populations in the Chihuahuan Desert.
šæ Nutrition
During the active growth period, a specific fertilizer for cacti with high levels of potassium and bioassimilable calcium, such as Desert CHOICEĀ® CactĆ”ceas, is recommended, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICEĀ® FloraciĆ³n.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi
9x9 cm gourmet black pot
30 cm bowl
Ā
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this can also vary slightly because, after all, it is a living thing! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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