Peyote of 1 to 2 cm: a young Lophophora williamsii
You receive a young peyote measuring 1 to 2 centimetres across. The species is already recognisable at that size: a globular, blue-green to grey-green head without spines, carrying tufts of matted greyish-white wool up to a centimetre long on the areoles. Young plants usually show about five ribs; as the cactus grows that becomes seven to thirteen, broad and rounded, divided by transverse furrows into polyhedral tubercles. The part you do not see sits below the soil, where a sturdy taproot can run more than 25 centimetres deep on mature plants. That is why even a small specimen belongs in a pot that is deep rather than wide.
Lophophora williamsii is native to the Chihuahuan Desert and the South Texas Plains, along the middle and lower Rio Grande and across several northern Mexican states, at altitudes between roughly 100 and 1,900 metres. It grows there on calcareous ground, rocky slopes and dry riverbeds, sitting almost flush with the soil. Wild populations have been heavily over-collected, which is part of why nursery-grown plants like this one appeal to collectors.
Care
Give it light without burning midday sun: half shade to a few hours of direct sun suits it best. Use a lean, gritty cactus mix that drains fast, because that thick root rots easily. Water sparingly, and only once the substrate has dried right through. The head shrinking and turning grey between waterings is normal; too much water is what causes splitting or rot. In winter keep the cactus cool and completely dry, with some air movement. The species takes about minus seven degrees for a short spell, but once nights drop below ten degrees you keep it dry in any case.
What to expect from this size
Peyote grows slowly, and at 1 to 2 centimetres you are starting at the very beginning. Count on years before the plant reaches 4 or 5 centimetres, and longer still for the first flower: cultivated plants generally bloom six to ten years after sowing, while in the wild it can take up to thirty. The flowers are small and bell-shaped, 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres across, usually pink and occasionally whitish, appearing sporadically through summer. If you would rather not wait that long, larger sizes and multi-headed clusters are in stock.
Shipping and local law
We sell this cactus as an ornamental plant. Check the rules where you live before ordering. We do not ship these plants outside Europe, and within Europe a number of countries are excluded as well; checkout will show whether we may send to your address. Every plant goes out in discreet packaging.
Avalon Magic Plants also stocks peyote in 2-3 cm, 3-4 cm, 4-5 cm, 5-7 cm and 7-10 cm, as multi-headed clusters and as the related species Lophophora fricii and Lophophora decipiens. For the full range see Lophophora and the other cacti.
