Melocactus matanzanus

Melocactus matanzanus

Forming a beautifully glaucous blue-green ridged dome with a fuzzy round structure which forms at the top of the plant.  This is known as the ‘cephalium’ and it’s very important since it is here that the flower buds will form. Flowers are a fabulous vibrant pink and followed by shiny pale pink seed heads.  As the plant grows older, the cephalium swells and gets broader and taller forming a fluffy mound with small red barbs.

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: May 2024