Turk's Cap Cactus

Melocactusazureus

Family
Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee)
Genus
Melocactus (mel-oh-KAK-tus)
Species
azureus (a-ZOOR-ee-us)
Synonym
Melocactus azureus subsp. azureus
Melocactus azureus var. azureus
Sun Exposure
Sun to Partial Shade
Light Shade
Height
under 6 in. (15 cm)
6-12 in. (15-30 cm)
Spacing
15-18 in. (38-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Hardiness
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Danger
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling
Bloom Color
Pink
Red
Bloom Time
Mid Summer
Other Details
Category
Cactus and Succulents
Water Requirements
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Foliage Color
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
Bloom Size
Other details
Soil pH requirements
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
Seed Collecting
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Phoenix, Arizona

Reseda, California

Cabin Creek, West Virginia

Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

3
positives
0
neutral
0
negative
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B
Tuscaloosa, AL | January 2015 | positive

These cactus can be hard to keep alive sometimes.their roots aren't very efficient at absorbing large amounts of water at one time,so rot...Read More

S
Cabin Creek, WV (Zone 6a) | October 2010 | positive

I got one of these thinking it was going to be a large flowering variety, but once I found the name and did a search, I was very disappoi...Read More

P
Acton, CA (Zone 8b) | April 2004 | positive

Brazilian tropical cactus that has a surprising degree of cold hardiness in So Cal... in some areas it probably has to be grown under sha...Read More

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