Image from Wikimedia / Paginazero
Do you like columnar cacti? And those that hairy? If you have answered yes to both questions, there is a species that you will surely love: the Cleistocactus strausii. This succulent, easy to find in nurseries, is a plant that will decorate any sunny corner you have in your patio or garden.
With a minimum care that now I will tell you, you can enjoy the beauty of this cactus every day as if it were the first.
How is it?
Cleistocactus strausii is the scientific name of a columnar cactus endemic to Jujuy and Salta in Argentina, and Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz Tarija in Bolivia that was described by Emil Heese and Curt Backeberg and published in Kakteen-freunden in 1934. Popularly it is known as Silver Torch.
It develops greenish-gray stems that reach a height of 3m by 6cm wide. It has 25 ribs densely covered by areoles, from which arise four brownish-yellow spines 4cm long and 20 radial, shorter, and white.
The flowers, which sprout in late summer, are cylindrical, with a horizontal development and dark red.. These are kept almost completely closed, exposing only the style and stamens.
What care do you need?
Cleistocactus strausii var. cristatus
If you want to have a copy, you must make sure it receives direct sunlight, since it does not live well in semi-shade. In addition, you have to plant it in a pot or in a soil whose soil has good drainage, and give it two weekly waterings in summer and some less the rest of the year.
Also, so that you grow better and healthier, It is necessary that you pay it from the beginning of spring to the end of summer with a specific fertilizer for cactus (you can get it here) following the indications specified on the product packaging.
In case of having it in a pot, it will need a transplant every 2 springs. For the rest, you should know that it resists frosts down to -10ºC, but if it is young, it must be protected from hail.