Echinopsis

I have one must be close to 30 years old - easy, reliable bloomer (mine has flowers with white centers/ pink outer petals). Still only a ...Read Morebit over 3" in diameter, about the same width as the flowers. Spines bend backward, hugging the plant body, so they're quite harmless. Great little cactus.

I'm in SW WA, winters here are too wet for cacti, so it's in a pot. Goes outdoors for the summer, spends the winter dormant season in a cool room indoors. Plant body is a glossy dark green if given light shade, becomes bronzed in more sun - but it blooms happily in either situation.

Flower buds begin to appear in early spring as fuzzy bumps which expand as the weather gets warm. I get maybe 5 or 6 flowers, produced in succession in July and August - I expect the bloom season would be longer where it's warmer.

Wonderful indoor cactus, no needles to bother you and if it's content it'll launch some fantastic white flowers. They only last a day so ...Read Moredon't miss it!

Don't over water and it'll be happy indoors. I'm growing it in S/E PA so it's not exactly the right climate so it stays indoors with no concern.

There are four subspecies of Echinopsis ancistrophora. Flowers are unscented.
Subsp. 'ancistrophora' has varied colored blooms fro...Read Morem white to sometimes a hint of pink to deep red, native to south of Salta, Argentina north to across the border into southern Bolivia.
Subsp. 'arachnacantha' is smaller and has yellow to yellow-orange blooms, native a little farther north into Samaipata, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Subsp. 'cardenasiana' has violet-pink to red blooms and is native to Tarija, Bolivia.
Subsp. 'pojoensis' is a larger plant with reddish blooms and is native to Pojo, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Echinopsis ancistrophora var. torrecillasensis has orange-red blooms.

Additional synonyms include:
Pseudodolobivia polyancistra, Pseudodolobivia hamatacantha, Pseudodolobivia kratochviliana, Pseudodolobivia leucorhodantha, Echinopsis pelecyrhachis, Pseudodolobivia pelecyrhachis & Pseudodolobivia torrecillasensis.