Oreocereus celsianusis acactuswith tall , white - haired stems that digest on the upland of theAndesinSouth America , like snow-covered sentinels look out on valleys . The long livid pilus protect the root from the acute ultraviolet ignitor of higher altitudes .
Oreocereus celsianus(Lem . ex Salm - Dyck ) Riccob .
Old Man of the Andes , Old Man of the Mountain
Flowers. In habitat, San Pedro, Chuquisaca, Bolivia. Derivative of a photo byMartin Lowry. Licensed underCC BY-NC 4.0.
Borzicactus celsianus , Cereus celsianus , Cleistocactus celsianus , Echinopsis celsiana , Pilocereus celsianus
Family : CactaceaeSubfamily : CactoideaeTribe : TrichocereeaeGenus : Oreocereus
The specific epithet " celsianus(pronounced sels - ee - AY - nu ) honorsJacques Philippe Martin Cels(1740 - 1806 ) , a French botanist specializing in horticulture .
A young plant in cultivation, Mexico City, Mexico. Photo by Carlos Villeda. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Oreocereus celsianusis aboriginal toArgentina , Bolivia , andPeru . It grows in the semi - desiccate Andean part at elevations that range from 9,510 to 11,810 feet ( 2,900 to 3,600 m ) .
Oreocereus celsianusis a easy - growing cactus with columnar , fleeceable - grey to dark green staunch dumbly covered with retentive , whitened hairs and brown spines . As the plant life age , it branches from the stem , organise aclump . The stems are initiallyprostrate , then erect , and can mature up to 10 feet ( 3 m ) foresightful and 4.8 inches ( 12 centimeter ) in diameter . They have 9 to 15tuberousribs run along with oval , white - felted areoles bearing a clustering of 8 to 13 spine . Eachareolebears 1 to 4 central spines measuring up to 3.2 column inch ( 8 cm ) longsighted and 7 to 9 radial spine measuring up to 0.8 in ( 2 atomic number 96 ) long . The density of the white hairs is outstanding at the peak of the stem and gradually lessen toward the root word .
In the spring , Oreocereus celsianusproduces tubelike flowers near the tips of the stems , which open during the day . The flowers are slimly trend and can reach a length of 3.6 inches ( 9 cm ) and a diameter of 1.2 inch ( 3 atomic number 96 ) . They have greenish - chocolate-brown outertepals , mauve - garden pink to drab ruby-red inner tepals , and redfilaments . The floraltubeis covered with shortscalesand long white and disgraceful hair . The yellow ball-shaped fruit contain several black seeds and split at the fundament when fully ripe . They can acquire up to 2 inches ( 5 cm ) in diameter .
Fruits. In habitat, Antonio Quijarro, Potosí, Bolivia. Photo byNaturalist Tours. Licensed underCC BY-NC 4.0.
Light Within : Although it can handle partial subtlety , Oreocereus celsianusthrives in full sun . If grow indoors , a sunny windowpane is a good spot . To encourage balanced growth , rotate the stack a tail turn every hebdomad or two . It is good to move it outdoors from spring to fall if potential .
ground : This cactus grows best in well - draining dirt . you’re able to either use commercial-grade soil for cacti ormake your own mixing .
Hardiness : During the acquire season , Oreocereus celsianusenjoys warm temperature , while in wintertime , it prefers cooler temperatures . It maturate best inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zones8a to 10b , with fair minimum wintertime temperatures ranging from 10 to 40 ° degree Fahrenheit ( -12.2 to 4.4 ° C ) .
A mature plant in habitat, Yavi, Jujuy, Argentina. Derivative of a photo byStefan. Licensed underCC BY-NC 4.0.
Watering : To keep this cactus tidy , waterit good , but allow the soil to dry out out entirely before watering again . As fall approaches , bit by bit reduce the watering oftenness . During the winter , when it is dormant , body of water this cactus only enough to foreclose shrinking .
Fertilizing : During its maturate time of year , this cactus require veritable fertilizing . A balanced , water - soluble fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength can be added to each watering . A 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer is ideal . you could also utilize dry fertilizers instead of making a solution of water and plant food . However , turn back fertilizing during the winter .
Repotting : You should repotOreocereus celsianusonce a year when it is young and when it outgrows its pot when mature .
Propagation : The easiest method to propagate this cactus is by stem cuttings , as seed propagation is a slow process . saltation and summertime are the near metre to take carving and seed the seeded player .
memorize more atHow to Grow and Care for Cereus .
Oreocereus celsianusis considered non - toxic . However , keep it away from favourite and children as it has sharp spines .
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