€10,60

🌱 Morphology
    One of the most recognizable Opuntias in the world: its small, oval, rounded pads overlap to form a structure reminiscent of rabbit ears. The cladodes are flat, bright green, pubescent, and usually lack true spines. What looks like a delicate fuzz is actually composed of dense clusters of glochids, tiny structures with fine WHITE, RED microscopic bristles that detach easily upon contact. The pads usually measure between 5 and 15 cm, and the plant can form dense shrubs up to approximately 1 m tall. And then there is the totally SPINELESS 'CARESS' variety.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It belongs to the Cactaceae family and is native to Mexico, mainly to the northern and central regions of the country, where it inhabits arid areas and dry scrublands, frequently at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,100 m. Currently, it is also naturalized in various locations outside its area of origin.

❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 8b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −9.4 ºC, especially when completely dry and acclimated. Its resistance increases considerably when low temperatures occur during a dry period; the combination of intense cold and persistent moisture is much more dangerous. Some cultivation references place specimens of this species around −10 °C in dry soil.

☀️ Lighting
It needs full sun to keep the cladodes compact, promote balanced branching, and stimulate flowering. During active growth, a target of 18–25 mol/m²/day of PAR DLI is appropriate. Specimens grown in low light develop weaker segments and a less compact structure.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. Growth occurs mainly from spring through late summer, with greater activity when temperatures are warm and there is good lighting. During the active period, abundant watering is recommended, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. In autumn, watering should be gradually spaced out, and during winter, it should be kept practically dry, especially when temperatures are low.

🌸 Flowering
Flowers appear mainly in spring and early summer, developing along the edges of the cladodes. They are bright yellow, about 2.5–4 cm in diameter, and can take on peach tones as they age. After flowering, fleshy red to purple fruits may develop. In Madrid, with sufficient sunlight and a mature plant, flowering can occur mainly between April and June.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer high in assimilable calcium and low in 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.

📏Xerophyte in a 9 x 9 cm pot. 

* Since this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these can also vary slightly because it is a living thing! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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