Ortegocactus macdougallii - Cochemiea macdougallii

Ortegocactus macdougallii - Cochemiea macdougallii

You will receive this exact, large cluster.
This is a grafted specimen.
Scion measures 6"w  x 5”h above the soil line.
Roots as shown.
Showcased here in one-of-a-kind handmade pottery (sold separately).
Will be shipped bare root.

The plant Ortegocactus macdougallii, also known as Cochemiea macdougallii, is a rare, slow-growing cactus native to a very small region of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is a prized collector's item due to its unique appearance and demanding care requirements.

Characteristics

• Appearance: This small, clumping cactus forms tiny, low-lying bushes. Its stems have a unique, unmistakable lime-green-grey epidermis that can develop rust-colored spots as the plant ages, even in cultivated specimens.
• Stems: Individual stems are typically 3 to 4 centimeters in diameter. They are covered with low, spirally arranged, rhomboid tubercles.
• Spines: Each tubercle has a dimorphic areole (the spine-bearing structure). The spines include one central, black-tipped spine and 7–8 shorter, white-tipped radial spines.
• Flowers: The plant produces diurnal (day-blooming), funnel-shaped yellow flowers in the spring or summer. The flowers, about 2.5–3 cm in diameter, arise from the base of the upper tubercles and last for a couple of days.
• Fruit: After flowering, it produces a small, dry, reddish fruit containing small, shining black seeds.

Care and cultivation

• Difficulty: This is not an easy plant to grow on its own roots and requires special care. It is notoriously prone to rotting from overwatering.
• Soil: It needs a very gritty, fast-draining mineral-based potting mix. Some growers add limestone chippings to the soil, reflecting its natural habitat. However, recent analysis suggests the native rock may not be limestone, and that some cultivated plants grow better without it.
• Water: Water moderately in the summer, but very sparingly, if at all, during the winter. Care must be taken to avoid overwatering.
• Sunlight: The cactus thrives in full sun to light shade.
• Grafting: Because it is so challenging to grow on its own roots, many cultivators graft O. macdougallii onto a more robust rootstock. Grafting speeds up growth and makes the plant easier to manage.

Habitat

• Natural range: O. macdougallii is known from a single, isolated location in San Jose Lachuguiri, Oaxaca, Mexico.
• Altitude: It grows at high altitudes, between 1,600 and 2,000 meters.
• Growing conditions: The plant grows in grasslands on steep, rocky limestone outcrops with very few surrounding trees or shrubs.