Just a couple of weeks ago I noticed a bud developing on an Oreocereus trollii in the greenhouse. It’s always a little extra exciting when columnar species flower because they usually take quite a lot longer to reach flowering age than the globular ones, and this species had never flowered before. I sadly missed the show, though my father was there to document it. I’m not quite sure how old it is, though I’d venture a guess at around 15-20 years perhaps, and it’s probably around 25 cm tall.
Oreocereus are found in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina at altitudes between ca. 1000 – 4000 m a.s.l.
O. trollii is found in southern Bolivia and northern Argentina at around 4000 m a.s.l. The great amount of hair on the plant is there to protect it against wind and cold. This particular species doesn’t become any taller than between 50-100 cm. It’s a testament to the adaptability of cacti that this species can thrive and flower at sea level in Norway (almost 60°N) when its habitat is near 20°S at 4000 m a.s.l. in the Andes, approximately 11 000 km away!
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| Oreocereus trollii with its first flower. |
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| Close-up of the flower. I quite like the purple anthers. |
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| Another close-up of the flower. The combination of the flower colour, the yellow spines and the white hairs is quite attractive. |
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Dear Sir,
Do you grow cactus through seeds or through collecting from various places?
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Hi!
I do both, though I’ve mainly grown from seed over the past decade. I find it much more rewarding than buying adult plants. At the same time it is a lot of fun to visit nurseries and pick out some adult plants to bring home.
If you haven’t tried sowing seeds before, I definitely recommend it!
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