€7,95

Pilosocereus chrysostele (Vaupel) Byles & G.D.Rowley

🌱 Morphology
Shrubby or arborescent cactus, 1–6 m tall, with erect columnar stems about 7–11 cm in diameter, branching mainly from the base. It presents 16–32 entire and well-marked ribs. The areoles produce numerous acicular and flexible spines, generally 5–10 central and 6–12 radial, brown, golden, or yellowish in color. Upon reaching maturity, it develops a very characteristic lateral cephalium, formed by modified areoles covered with wool and golden or brown bristles.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Species from Northeastern Brazil, especially from Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, and Pernambuco. It lives in dry environments of the Caatinga, savannas, and granite or gneiss rocky outcrops, where it can grow at an altitude of approximately 100 to 1,100 m. It belongs to the Cactaceae family. The lateral cephalium and the golden bristles that protect the floral structures are especially distinctive traits.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC when dry and with well-acclimated specimens. During cold spells, it is recommended to keep the substrate completely dry.

☀️ Lighting
Needs direct sun and very intense light to maintain compact growth and favor the development of abundant spination. During active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended as a reference.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During the cold period, it is kept practically dry. In spring and summer, deep and spaced waterings are recommended, allowing the substrate to dry completely before watering again. Drainage must be fast and root aeration excellent.

🌸 Flowering
First flowers at around 15 years. The flowers appear on the lateral cephalium and are white or greenish-white, approximately 4–6 cm long, with mainly nocturnal opening. The pericarpel may show yellow, orange, or reddish tones. The fruits are subglobose, about 3–4 cm, with magenta to purple epidermis and mucilaginous pulp of the same tone.

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

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:

S -> 9cm x 9cm

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

L->16cm x 16 cm

* 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 may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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