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  Echinocactus grusonii
var. brevispinus f. cristata
CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


Photo & © copyright by Jürgen Menzel

 

Description: The typical Echinocactus grusonii "brevispinus" (inermis) is a very short spined mutantant of the well known "Golden barrel cactus" that - except for the spines - it is identical in shape and size to the standard species. The standard form is very popular and widely grown, while the beautiful crested variant is still rare in cactus collection. This crest can also get very big making a spectacular specimen.
Stem: Pale green and heavily ribbed with numerous areoles sprouting very short radial, yellow spines.
Flowers: Produced from end of spring to summer only on larger mature specimens receiving enough full sun. Flower are diurnal,  vivid yellow (4-5 cm wide) and form a circular ring at the top of the plant, but are not very visible being small in relation with the size of the barrel, and lost into the creamy coloured wool at the plant apex.

Cultivation:   It is a fairly easy plant to grow both grafted or in its own roots. During the summer it is best to keep the plants outside where the temperature can rise to over 30 C with no harm to the plant. Furnish good drainage and use a an open and free draining mineral compost that allows therefore roots to breath. They like only a short winter's rest and should be kept almost completely dry during the winter months, If the soil is allowed to be dry for too long root loss could follow but equally the same result would occur if the plants are both wet and cold. From March onwards the plant will begin to grow and watering should be increased gradually until late May when the plant should be in full growth.
Water regularly during the summer so long as the plant pot is allowed to drain and not sit in a tray of water. During hot weather you may need to water the plants more frequently so long as the plant is actively growing. From late September watering should be reduced to force the plant to go in to a state of semi dormancy, by October you should be back in to the winter watering regime.
Need full sun avoiding only the harshest summer sun, if kept too dark they may become overly lush and greener and could be prone to rotting due to over watering.
Feeding may not be necessary at all if the compost is fresh then, feed in summer only if the plant hasn't been repotted recently. Do not feed the plants from September onwards as this can cause lush growth which can be fatal during the darker cold months. Grown specimens resist to -4°C for a short time, but it is best to keep above 5° C to avoid ugly spots on the plant epidermis. Prefers a position in full sun, which will help to maintain the lustre of the spines. Besides, it performs wonderfully in containers, Container media should be coarse as well.

Propagation: From cuttings or grafting on a large strong under-stock.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Echinocactus grusonii:


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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)


Scientific Name: Echinocactus grusonii forma brevispina cristata

Origin Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

 

 

 

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery ECHINOCACTUS

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.