Crested Cactus 'Ming Thing'

If rare and unusual is your thing then this is the plant for you. The blue green leaves are wonderfully sculptural and each plant is unique.

There are little black spines and woolly areoles that add that little something extra. The ‘mutated’ growth is natural to this Bolivian/Argentinean cactus. The plants are in 6cm pots and are around 5-6cm.

They are an exceptional indoor or patio plant and are perfect for beginners and intriguing enough for experts.

They are long lived and slow to reach their maturity of a metre or more, as they make plenty (as in potentially hundreds) of side shoots along the way. They grow about 10cm a year in ideal conditions.

They take around ten years to flower and it is rare in captivity.

(HxW): 5-30cm x 5-20cm

I SEE THE LIGHT: Choose a brightly lit position out of the hot afternoon sun (which may burn the leaves or damage the roots in the pot).

I NEED A DRINK: Low water needs, water lightly then allow the soil to dry out before watering again. You are more likely to kill it with kindness than neglect. The more light they have the more water they can take, but it is better to err on the side of caution. They are dormant over winter so don’t need much, if any moisture in the cool (and low light) part of the year – if you water too much in winter it tends to damage/rot their roots.

I WILL SURVIVE: In pots use a well drained potting mix specially formulated for succulents and cactus. The pot needs to have a bit of depth. It should also have drainage holes - unless you are caring for it indoors and promise not to over water. They aren’t huge fans of humidity, so it is best to ensure they have good air flow. They are unlikely to flower in cultivation, but if they do it will be a special and brief moment of little white nocturnal blooms. Keep away from cold draughts or air con/heating vents.
You don’t need to fertilise them very often or much, a diluted liquid cactus fertiliser in spring is all they need and they will of course forgive if you forget.

Supplied as: Pots
Size: 7.5 cm