Cuzco: Trichocereus cuzcoensis from the Peruvian highlands
Trichocereus cuzcoensis, these days also written as Echinopsis cuzcoensis, is a columnar cactus that grows naturally in the mountains around Cusco in Peru. In habitat it turns into a tree shaped plant of five to six metres that branches from the base and slowly takes on a candelabra habit. The stem thickens to roughly fifteen centimetres and carries seven to eight low, rounded ribs, with white to grey felted areoles set one to two centimetres apart.
What sets this species apart from its better known relatives is the spination. Where San Pedro is nearly spineless, cuzcoensis usually carries eight to twelve strong spines per areole, reaching five to ten centimetres in length. New spines come in yellow to dark brown and fade towards grey or white over the years. At night the plant opens large, fragrant white flowers of up to twenty centimetres across, though only mature specimens get that far. What you buy here is a cutting, so expect it to look rather different from a grown column.
Rooting and care
Let the cut end dry for one to two weeks in an airy, shaded spot until a dry skin has formed. Then stand the cutting upright in a free draining cactus mix with coarse sand, perlite or pumice and hold off on watering for the first few weeks, because roots form in dry soil. Once the plant sits firm, water roughly every ten to fourteen days during the growing season and only when the pot has dried out completely. In winter keep it cooler and drier. Light matters: the more sun it gets, the sturdier the growth and the heavier the spines.
More cacti at Avalon
The same category at Avalon Magic Plants holds San Pedro, Peruvian Torch, Trichocereus bridgesii and the knobbly monstrose forms, both as cuttings and rooted in a pot. Every plant is shipped in discreet packaging.
