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How long does it take for a cactus to produce flowers?
Cacti flowering is a subject of great interest to plant lovers, not only for the beauty and size of their flowers, but also because the way they bloom and when they produce flowers
There are many people who wonder about these succulent plants:
How old must a cactus be to bloom?
When does a cactus bloom take place?
Do cacti bloom during the day or at night?
How long do the flowers of a cactus last?
Many people have cacti at home and they admire their flowers year after year. Others know that their cacti were in bloom some time ago and they will take a few more years to bloom again. There are also people who planted a cactus a lot of years ago and they are waiting eagerly for it to flourish.
Cactus flowering is a mystery: some do it at night, in the absence of light; others during the day, impelled by the abundant light. Some bloom every year, others take up to 15 years to produce flowers.
There are cacti that bloom in winter, other that do it in spring or autumn.
No less variability presents the duration of cactus flowers. It may last more or less time depending on species. Some last a week; others disappear in one or two days.
My experience with…
The following story tells the personal experience of Enrique Gutierrez, a great lover of cacti who writes from Mexico. Enrique tells how a cactus planted 35 years ago has just blossomed for the first time.
Words and pictures of Enrique are an example of our friend’s admiration for his cactus. At the same time, they can also serve as a small guide for the care of this plant, because in his words, he is talking about how to take care of it, referring to watering, soil type, transplantation, etc.
A CACTUS TAKES NEARLY FORTY YEARS TO BLOOM
| Hi: A pleasure to write you, because I am a faithful follower of your excellent site. I am writing to ask if you know why a cactus that I have in my garden, whose age is 36-40 years old, has flowered for the first time this summer (4 flowers) Its height is over my house, which is two stories, and I wish it to continue growing. he he! Any ideas? It is a Cereus peruvianus monstruosus. Tomorrow I will take more photos of the whole cactus, and send them immediately so you can appreciate its enormous size. For now I send a couple of pictures of flowers, that I have taken tonight (Thursday 18/06/2015) at 11’30 approximately. (It shows that some cochineals have adhered to a branch, but, once it finishes flowering, I’ll see how to eliminate them)
On a historical note, this cactus was given me by my grandmother in 1979, in a small pot measuring about 20 cm. high (I will send you the picture tomorrow). I repotted it several times until placing it in its proper place in the ground (a mixture of black volcanic rock and garden soil)
I have not watered it in several years, because when it rains, it gets enough water, and each spring it has produced green light spurts in many of its branches. This year the wonderful difference is that, besides its natural growth, it has presented flowers for the first time. The cactus in question (Cereus peruvianus monstruosus) I think… was about 10 years in a pot, until I planted it on the ground (in the year 2005) in its current location, where it began to grow rapidly. The small yellow pot coming out in one of the photos is the pot in which it was given to me 36 years ago:)
I hope these pictures could increase the botanical heritage and will please many fans and lovers of the plant world. Thanks and kind regards Enrique Gutierrez |
Do you have any personal experience with the world of plants you want to share? You can send your comments to info@botanical-online.com and we will make them known. If you wish, you can add your pictures to illustrate the story.
More information on cacti.
