Obregonia Denegrii ~ ARTICHOKE CACTUS 5 seeds

Obregonia Denegrii (Artichoke Cactus)

*5 seeds*

Obregonia Denegrii, nicknamed Artichoke Cactus, it the only species in the obregonia genus.  It is also classified as strombocatus denegrii.  This prized cactus is closely related to the ariocarpus genus and bares similar characteristics.  Like ariocarpus, it is sometimes referred to as a living rock.  These seeds will produce plants with incurved tubercles and white flowers.  Denegrii is native to Tamaulipas, Mexico where it is now endangered due to a variety of factors including habitat loss, collection for medical, scientific and collective purposes and uprooting by livestock.  It is said to have antibiotic activity and was one of several cacti species to be considered a false peyote by the Tarahumara people of Mexico.  This solitary, low-laying cactus, which typically stays under six inches, is often shadowed by shrubbery.  For that reason, it prefers light shade.  For brief periods, it can survive temps as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.  Being a slow-growing ornamental, it is a great candidate for grafting onto faster-growing root stock such as San Pedro, blue myrtle or pereskiopsis. 

Growing Information:

Seeds should be germinated in a fine sandy soil at about 70-75 degrees.  A commercial potting mix with the larger material strained out is ideal.  Flatten out the soil and then put a thin layer of loose soil above it.  Sow the seeds on the surface. They need light to germinate.  Mist the soil to keep it moist and cover with clear plastic. The soil should not be allowed to dry out while the plants are seedlings.  Use a mister if the soil does get dry.  Place the seedlings in bright light. Placing the seeds just a few inches from fluorescent lights is ideal for starting seedlings, although natural light will work too  Be sure to air out the seedlings once a day for best results