Strombocactus disciformis CITES | Top Cactus
€74,20
CITES 006LA
🌱 Morphology
A very slow-growing cactus with an unmistakable appearance, generally solitary and partially geophytic. The grayish-green body is globose-depressed and can remain almost hidden among rocks, reaching approximately 2.5–9 cm in diameter. It lacks true ribs: it is formed by imbricated tubercles, arranged in a spiral like small shingles. The areoles are located at the tip of each tubercle and produce 1–4 short, grayish, and deciduous spines, which disappear with age. In the wild, it develops a powerful taproot that penetrates rock crevices.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is endemic to north-central Mexico, mainly Hidalgo and Querétaro, with populations of the subspecies esperanzae in Guanajuato. It lives at an altitude of about 1,000 to 1,600 m, in crevices and small ledges of almost vertical limestone and calcareous shale walls, where the roots find minimal soil accumulation. It is a species with a very restricted distribution and is classified as Vulnerable.
Family Cactaceae · Subfamily Cactoideae · Tribe Cacteae · Genus Strombocactus
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC for short periods and with the substrate completely dry. Cold humidity is particularly dangerous for its thick taproot.
☀️ Lighting
It needs very intense lighting to maintain its characteristic flattened shape. Soft direct sun or very bright partial shade is recommended, avoiding extreme exposure behind glass during the hours of greatest solar intensity. A PAR radiation of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ (DLI) is suitable.
💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Winter rest. This species is especially sensitive to excess water. During active growth, it is recommended to water moderately and let the substrate dry out completely before watering again. In autumn, waterings are gradually reduced until the plant is kept dry during winter. Cultivation must replicate its habitat: deeply drained roots and no persistent moisture.
🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear on the top of the plant, on the youngest growth. They are large in proportion to the body, funnel-shaped, about 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter, and can be cream, pale yellow, or, in the subspecies esperanzae, intensely magenta. Flowering occurs mainly between May and July, although it can extend in cultivation. A first flowering has been documented at approximately 6–10 years from seed, depending on cultivation conditions; its extremely slow growth makes reaching flowering size one of its greatest challenges. It can produce successive flowers during the favorable season.
🌿 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
9x9 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with a substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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