Espostoa melanostele - Exotic Cacti / Succulent - 5 Seeds

Espostoa is a genus of columnar cacti, comprising 16 species known from the Andes of southern Ecuador and Peru. It usually lives at an altitude of between 800m and 2500m. Its fruit is edible, sweet, and juicy. The genus is named after Nicolas E. Esposto, a renowned botanist from Lima.

Espostoa melanostele is a species of rare, endangered, long-lived, slow-growing plant in the family Cactaceae. Horticultural collection and the fact that the plant is slow growing contribute to the fact that the plant is endangered. E. melanostele is a columnar cactus native to Peru. Spines easily detach from the plant. In rain, flowers close up completely. When dry, flowers open up again. Petals are usually joined in the wild, but some cultivated forms have prominently separated petals. Flowers are yellow, diurnal, and are rarely born on a cephalium. They start opening up in morning and stay open until evening, when they start to close up again for night. They are pollinated by insects. The fruit is edible, sweet, and juicy.

USDA Zone - 8

Season to Sow - Spring