Espostoa melanostele - Peruvian Old Lady Cactus [large] [bare root]

Peruvian Old Lady (Espostoa melanostele) (Borg): A columnar cactus covered with gold spines and a thick, woolly coating that resembles hair. It is native to dry, sunny habitats at high elevations in Peru and is extremely drought tolerant. Plant in rapidly draining soil and water sparingly most of the year and not at all in the winter. It grows slowly (about 1.0" a year) and can eventually sprout new branches from its base if given enough space and sunlight.

It is very rare to see this species in bloom, but its 2.0" white flowers are specially adapted to close in rainstorms and reopen when dry. In the wild it can reach over 6.0' tall at maturity but stays small potted on a windows sill. This plant is shipped bare-root.

This cactus variety will not survive a hard frost, but if there is a risk of freezing temperatures it can be brought indoors to grow on a sunny window sill or under a grow light. Cactus need bright sunlight, great drainage, and infrequent water to prevent rot. Pick containers with drainage holes and use with 70% to 80% mineral grit such as coarse sand, pumice, or perlite. Water deeply and wait for the soil to completely dry out before watering again.