Opuntia microdasys var. globosa | Chubby Mickey Mouse Cactus
€10,60
🌱 Morphology
A cultivar of Opuntia microdasys characterized by relatively short, fleshy cladodes that tend to be more rounded and compact than those of the typical form. The segments feature a green epidermis and numerous areoles placed very close together, covered in dense glochids that can be white, yellowish, or golden in tone. As with the species, true spines are scarce or practically nonexistent, but the glochids are very numerous and easily detached, so it must be handled with caution. Its growth can form compact clusters of segments reminiscent of small, overlapping pads.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Opuntia microdasys is native to Mexico, where it grows in arid environments and dry scrublands. ‘Globosa’ is a horticultural cultivar, not an independent wild taxon. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Opuntioideae subfamily, Opuntieae tribe. Joël Lodé includes “var. globosa” among the cultivars of O. microdasys.
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a–11b
It is a plant adapted to hot, dry climates. During winter, it tolerates cool temperatures if kept completely dry, but it is advisable to protect it from prolonged frosts and, especially, from the combination of cold and moisture in the root system.
☀️ Lighting
It requires direct sun and high light intensity to maintain compact growth and proper glochid formation. As a guideline 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, its metabolism slows significantly, and it should be kept virtually dry. As temperatures rise and daylight hours increase, watering should be resumed gradually, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings. In full growth, it tolerates generous watering provided that drainage is excellent.
🌸 Flowering
Under suitable conditions, it produces yellow flowers approximately 2.5–3 cm in size, which may develop peach tones as they age. Flowering occurs primarily on mature segments that are well exposed to the sun.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low nitrogen levels, such as Desert CHOICE® Cacti, is recommended, applied once a month during watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Bloom.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
10x10 cm pot
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