One of the most prickly cacti, ancystrocactus, is not accidentally named from “hooks”. Surprisingly beautiful, it is still found only in rare collections. And it offers different cultivation options: more capricious self-rooted cacti are increasingly being replaced with hardy grafted forms. Spiky, but elegant, ancystrocactus is special in everything. It does not have to be grown as a flowering plant, but with proper wintering, even in indoor conditions, the flowering of ancystrocactus is memorable.
Ancystrocactus is very prickly, flowering and rare. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com CactusGarden
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Description of the plant
Ancystrocactus in nature are found only in the USA and Mexico, where they form unusual groups in semi-deserts. These are medium-sized representatives of the Cactus family with spherical or slightly elongated shoots up to 6-7 cm in diameter and a maximum height of only up to 10 cm. But the main feature is the turnip, thickened, sometimes almost equal to the stems in size roots.
Among ancystrocactus, both dark and light colors are found, but the stem is always ribbed – most often with 13 spiral edges, divided into tubercles. Areoles are also divided into two – the outward part forms thorns, and the inward-wrapped part forms flowers.
Thorn is the most important and easily recognizable feature of ancystrocactus. Up to 20 radial, yellowish-gray, thin and straight spines from 1 to 2 cm long are not all the “arms” of ancystrocactus. After all, large, much darker, brown-black, up to 5 cm in length, the central spines-hooks are very tough and much more dangerous. One of them is crocheted and thickened.
Ancystrocactus bloom in late winter or March. Ancystrocactus is famous for its green flowers. Their color is light green-pink, light green-beige or yellowish with dark brown strokes. Funnel-bell-shaped, only up to 2 cm in length and in diameter, the flowers of this cactus are distinguished by a shortened tube, with age they bloom higher and higher along the stem.
After flowering, ancystrocactus has light green-pink elongated juicy fruits that hide very large seeds.
In room culture, ancystrocactus are increasingly presented as grafted, rather than rooted plants, devoid of the tendency to decay of the roots and root collar. It is easier to grow such plants, but there are not so many problems with own-rooted ancystrocactus.
Read also our article Austrocylindropuntia – the original cactus for lazy growers.
Types of ancystrocactus for indoor keeping
The classification of ancystrocactus is currently being revised and, while controversy continues, the plants remain a distinct genus with a controversial ‘unresolved’ status. 4 species are grown in room culture.
Ancystrocactus Scheera (Ancistrocactus scheeri) Is the largest species. A spherical cactus that transforms into round columns up to 15 cm high with 13 ribs, divided into large cone-tubercles and dark, long central spines. Bell-shaped light green flowers are large and surprisingly graceful.
Ancystrocactus short bent (Ancistrocactus brevihamatus) Is a beautiful cactus with a round stem up to 10 cm in height with 10-12 ribs, divided into high, large centimeter tubercles with an upper, white-pubescent groove. One of the central spines is white with a hook at the end. Light green-whitish flowers with purple and yellow strokes reach 3 cm in diameter.
Ancystrocactus, short-haired (Ancistrocactus brevihamalus) Is a beautiful species with ovoid stems up to 10 cm in height, grayish radial and brown central spines and light pink flowers with a dark throat.
Ancystrocactus large-rooted (Ancistrocactus megarhizus) – a more compact form with an unusual root that exceeds the aerial part in volume and oval shoots up to 8 cm high. It has ribs arranged in a spiral, consisting of cone-shaped tubercles, yellowish spines and a thick “hook” directed downward. Flowers and fruits are light green yellow.
Ancistrocactus Scheeri. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Christos Terzis
Ancistrocactus brevihamatus. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com antoniomolina1944
Ancistrocactus large-rooted (Ancistrocactus megarhizus). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Luis Soares
Conditions for growing ancystrocactus
Extreme sun-loving requires placing ancystrocactus only on sunny windowsills. This type of cactus is especially sensitive to lack of light during the period of active growth. Placing ancystrocactus on sunny windowsills – southern or partially southern – you can find an ideal place for it. Ancystrocactus are not afraid of any direct sun, even midday. This cactus needs bright lighting all year round, including during cold winters.
This is one of the most heat-resistant cacti. He tolerates any room temperature and higher rates even in the height of summer, without suffering in the least. Keeping in winter at temperatures from 5 to 9 degrees Celsius is the only thing that allows ancystrocactus to bloom. But it can also withstand a warm winter.
One of the unexpected features of this cactus is the love of fresh air. Unlike many “colleagues”, ancystrocactus loves airing and taking it out into the fresh air. Even in winter, it is better for this handsome man to regularly arrange air baths.
Read also our article 20 indoor cacti and succulents with strikingly beautiful blooms.
Caring for ancystrocactus at home
Ancystrocactus is suitable even for those flower growers who do not have time for careful plant care. They don’t like excessive zeal. Even if the stems wrinkle and lose turgor from prolonged drought, they will regain it after watering. But the cactus will not survive the overflow.
Ancystrocactus is afraid of waterlogging and dampness, requires minimal watering. The best option is frequent, but very scanty watering with a small amount of water. In no case should water be poured under the stem – only along the perimeter of the pot, slowly and carefully, without soaking the “body”. In the heat (at temperatures above 25 degrees), it is better not to water because of growth arrest.
For the winter, watering is stopped completely and the ancystrocactus are kept completely dry – subject to cold wintering. If the cactus remains in the warmth of the rooms, it is watered very rarely, with a minimum amount of water, simply not allowing the stems to wither (once a month or less).
Dry air is the only option. Even the slightest increase in air humidity, especially in autumn and winter, leads to the appearance of fungi in the areoles.
This cactus may not be fed at all in the year of transplantation. From the second year after transplanting, top dressing is applied according to one of two strategies:
- once with a standard portion of fertilizer for cacti and succulents, at the beginning of growth in spring;
- 2-3 times in the spring and summer, with a frequency of no more than 1 time per month, with fertilizers of half the concentration.
The stems need to be regularly cleaned of dust – gently, with a brush or a brush, removing dirt from the surface of densely spiked stems.
Read also our article “Snowy” cacti in the interior.
Pests, diseases and growing problems
This is one of the most vulnerable cacti, subject to improper care or selection of conditions. Ancystrocactus is afraid of everything – overflow, getting wet, increased air humidity. It is prone to rot, mold and sooty fungi accumulate on the thorns and in the areoles. In the dry air, so beloved by the cactus, spider mites can easily spread through it, less often thrips, aphids, mealybugs.
Moreover, it is not easy to clean cacti, because they do not like spraying, and we are talking only about hygiene procedures and extremely accurate spraying of insecticides.
Ancystrocactus are grown in deep and large enough containers. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Nakø
Transplantation and reproduction of ancystrocactus
Containers for ancystrocactus should match their tuberous roots. Unlike their counterparts, they are grown in deep and fairly large containers. The transplant is best done on demand when the container is full. But to maintain the permeability of the soil, ancystrocactus are transferred more often, preventing possible problems with dampness or the spread of fungi in the old depleted soil.
To grow ancystrocactus, it is necessary to select the lightest and most loose options for soil mixtures. The purchased substrate for cacti and succulents can be improved with the addition of fine gravel, crushed stone, coarse sand, perlite to further increase air permeability. The amount of loosening additives is sometimes recommended to be adjusted to 40%. In this case, it is important to check that the reaction of the soil is equal to 5,5-5,6 pH.
A large drainage is laid at the bottom of the container. After transplanting, the cactus is not watered until growth resumes. For ancystrocactus, upper drainage is required: to protect against wetting and dampness, the root collar is mulched with stone chips or fine gravel.
It is no coincidence that this cactus remains so rare. It is very difficult to propagate it yourself. The only options are grafting and growing from very rare seeds, which are available to experienced growers.
Growing from seed requires extremely bright lighting and constant hot temperatures. Plants die easily at the slightest increase in soil moisture.
