Orange
Flower Color
Non Fragrant
Fragrance
Summer
Flowering Season
Low
Maintenance
Matucana
Genus
Yes
With Pots
Small
Size
Outdoor Shade,Outdoor Sun
Sunlight Requirement
Twice A Week
Water Requirement
Low Maintenance,Outdoor,Window Ledge
Use
Matucana aurantiaca subs. polzii
Family
Cactaceae
Native
Peru
Description
Matucana aurantiaca subs. polzii (Matucana polzii) is a relatively small clustering cactus with a strange squat stems up to 5 cm tall, up to 8-10 cm in diameter. It offsets strongly, with even small heads covered with numerous pups reaching only 2-5 cm across. In age forms huge cushion up to 30-40 cm in diameter whit hundreds of heads.
The spines are are tiny, flexible, pectinate and widely spaced whitish, to brownish-yellow to black on tips, later grey, sometimes slightly curved. Flowers are funnel-shaped, slightly curved, dark carmine red to orange, 5-7 cm long, 3.5-5 cm in diameter.
Environment
The Matucana polzii needs full sun exposure and a hot, dry climate. They do not resist temperatures below 6 ºC.
The soil can be a commercial cactus substrate with 20% coarse sand or a mixture of garden soil, coarse siliceous sand and vermiculite in the same proportions.
Water moderately in spring and summer, waiting until the substrate has dried. Water very little in autumn and do not water in winter.
Fertilize once in spring with cacti fertilizer mix
Landscape Uses
It is used as an ornamental, It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small.
