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Botanical name: Echinocereus coccineus
This cactus is widely cultivated for its beautiful flowers; needs good drainage; blooming begins as the plant matures in a few years; a wonderful tabletop accent plant in a bright area.
Other names: Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus
| Hardiness zone | 7b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 12 inches |
| Spread | 12 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | North American native |
Mexican Claret Cup features solitary red cup-shaped flowers with orange overtones and creamy white eyes along the stems in late spring. Its attractive spiny round leaves remain light green in color throughout the year.
This is an herbaceous evergreen houseplant with a mounded form. This plant should never be pruned unless absolutely necessary, as it tends not to take pruning well.
When grown indoors, Mexican Claret Cup can be expected to grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 60 years. This houseplant will do well in a location that gets either direct or indirect sunlight, although it will usually require a more brightly-lit environment than what artificial indoor lighting alone can provide. This is a unique plant in that it requires extremely dry, well-drained soil, and it will die if left in standing water for any length of time - in fact it will suffer if it is over-watered. The soil should be allowed to go completely dry to the touch an inch or two deep for prolonged periods, and it may only need watering once every few weeks. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.
There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.
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