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Index : Landscape Plants
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- 7. Flying Saucer Cacti Provide ‘Out of this World’ Color - Top
- To the botanical purist, creating new cactus through the artificial means of crossing two cactus species though hybridization is certainly frowned upon. However, for gardeners in the Desert Southwest, hybridization has developed some of the most beautiful blooming cactus ever. These desert garden treasures come with names like; Flying Saucer, Mars, Galaxy and Eclipse, attest to their ‘out of this world’, awe-inspiring blooms!
One of the most popular of the mega-blooming cacti is Trichocereus hybrid ‘Flying Saucer’. It’s radiant, nearly florescent flowers are a full 6 inches with pinks and yellows combining to produce a glowing orange. It’s multi-layered flower petals are soft and full and the white throat makes the petals stand out even more.
Trichocereus hybrid ‘Pride’ has deep red flowers whose petals are tipped in iridescent purple. The center of the flower contains an interesting white floral tubes (styles) in a pattern resembling the tentacles of an octopus.
Another popular flowering cactus is ‘Easter Lilly’, and Echinopsis hybrid with huge, white to pale lavender blooms 5 inches across. The flowers set on tall stems above the rather short 8 inch tall cactus and are extremely showy. Easter Lilly is an easy cactus to grow, ideal for beginners.
Besides their huge, beautiful blooms these flowering hybrids flower over an extended period of time. Plump buds continue to form near the tops of the clusters of column-formed stems. Flowering begins in early May and continues for nearly a month. The first blooms are the largest. Subsequent blooms, although numerous and showy, won’t be quite as big. Individual flowers last for several days.
There are literally hundreds of hybrid Trichocereus and Echinopsis cacti with incredible blooms. They come in a range of colors and shades including; red, orange, pink, mauve, purple, yellow and white. You can find some of these hybrids at local garden centers. But for the largest selection, you’ll want to visit a specialty cactus nursery. We have several in the Tucson area.
The best time for planting Trichocereus, Echinopsis and other types of cactus is during the heat of summer. They’ll establish and grow faster with high temperatures and monsoonal rains. Native cacti can tolerate full day-long sunlight, but hybrid Trichocereus and Echinopsis benefit from planting in locations with light shade, especially during the mid-day period.
Work the soil to prepare for planting. Cactus prefer well-drained soil, so if a hardpan of caliche is present it should be removed or another site chosen. Turn the soil a foot or so deep using a spade. Remove rocks and stones as you go. Do not add organic amendments to the soil. Cactus are adapted to and grow best in our native desert soils. After loosening the soil, dig holes large enough to accommodate the root systems of the cactus, plant and fill back in with the same soil removed.
Immediately after planting water the soil thoroughly. After this initial watering, irrigate once every week or two during hot weather. If during extremely hot weather, they begin looking a little shriveled, give them more water. In the winter, water only if normal rainfall does not occur, and then only sparingly. Cactus are more prone to problems from over-watering than under-watering during the cool months.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,
520-626-5161. - Updated: May 27, 2007
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