Echinocereus reichenbachii

Echinocereus reichenbachii. (Cactaceae) Black Lace Cactus, Classen’s Cactus, Fitch’s Hedghog Cactus, Lace Cactus, Merry Widow Cactus, Purple Candle Cactus, Reichenbach´s Hedgehog Cactus, Lace Hedgehog Cactus, Purple Candle. Native to Mexico. It is a slowly branching cylindrical shaped cactus more or less cespitose with up to 12 branches covered strongly pectinate, appressed truly lacy spines. The flowers are very showy, fragrant, produced in profusion, rather variable as to size, often 6 to 7 cm long and fully as broad, opening during the day, always closing at night and sometimes opening the second day, purple. The basis of flowers are clothed with dense greyish wool. Sowing: 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 2023