Austrocylindropuntia vestita
Austrocylindropuntia vestita, Cotton Pole Cactus, is an attractive clumping cactus from south America with tallish cylindrical stems that branch both from the base and from futher up the stem. It is distinguished by the long white hairs that emanate particularly from recent new growth and by the vestigal leaves which often last into the next growing season
Mercifully, unlike its north American Cylindropuntia cousins, Austrocylindropuntia species are not armed with vicious barbed sheaths and becasue of this - together with their smaller relative size - are more suited to indoor growth. They are not hardy outdoors unless you are lucky enough to live in the southern or south-western coastal regions where the warm maritime breezes can offer frost-free conditions but even so you will need a protected microclimate and probably a rain-shelter would be sensible to keep its roots dry.
A characterful cactus.
Additional Information
| Order | Caryophyllales |
|---|---|
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Sub-Family | Opuntioideae |
| Synonyms | Austrocylindropuntia chuquisacana, Austrocylindropuntia vestita var. chuquisacana, Austrocylindropuntia vestita var. intermedia, Austrocylindropuntia vestita var. maior, Cylindropuntia teres, Opuntia chuquisacana, Opuntia heteromorpha, Opuntia involuta, Opuntia teres, Opuntia vestita var. chuquisacana, Opuntia vestita f. intermedia, Opuntia vestita f. maior, Pseudotephrocactus vestitus, Tephrocactus heteromorphus, Trichopuntia vestita |
| Geographical Origin | Argentina, Bolivia |
| Cultivation | Full sun. Water well in growing season: from Feb/March through to mid-October. Responds well to a dilute liquid feed. Best indoors in the UK but growers in favoured warm locations may have success outside, keeping it dry under eaves or using a rainshelter |
| Eventual Height | 60cm |
| Eventual Spread | 15-25cm |
| Hardiness | Not fully hardy in the UK despite its origins at high elevation and its coating of protective long hairs. Best indoors but if you have a southern coastal location with a favourable microclimate this is worth a try. Keep dry with fleece and a rainshelter |
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