Echinocereus pectinatus (100 seeds)

Echinocereus pectinatus (100 seeds)

Family: Cactaceae

Common names: Rainbow Cactus, Purple Candle Cactus, Lace Cactus, Comb Hedgehog, Texas rainbow cactus.

Native to Texas, Arizona and Mexico. It remains single, but old plants sometime branch and form a a loosely clumped cluster. It has yellow, pinkish or brownish spines loosely pressed to the surface or spreading widely, pectinate, and intertwining with those of the other areoles. It produces very beautiful, brilliantly colored flowers.

Sowing instructions: Fill a pot with a moist, gritty, loam-based compost, or cacti compost. Gently firm down and level the surface. Scatter your mixed cactus seeds over the surface, taking care not to sow them too thickly. Gently sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite or fine grit over the seeds, covering the whole surface of the compost. Leave the pot in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill, covered with a clear plastic bag to preserve soil moisture. Seedlings will develop within a few weeks. Remove the plastic bag and water when the compost becomes dry, but spray the surface with water regularly, to keep it moist.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: January 2024