Stenocactus multicostatus

Family

Cactaceae

Native

Garden

Description

Stenocactus multicostatus is a small cactus with stems with many narrow, acute, straight or wavy ribs, densely pleated together, giving a wrinkled look to their near globular shape.

It grows up to 6 cm tall, 6–10 cm wide. It has nearly 100 thin ribs around the outside, each with six to nine spines. The upper spines are wider, at 4–8 cm long, while the lower ones are shorter, at 5–15 mm long. The flower is white to purple, 2–5 cm in diameter with many stamens.

Environment

Like most cacti they're drought tolerant and need very little care and attention to grow well. Not enough sunlight and over-watering are common mistakes.

Plenty of sunshine will keep this cacti more than happy. In a glass room you may have to provide some shade during a hot summers day to prevent sunburn

Feed every 4 weeks with a high potassium fertilizer during summer

Landscape Uses

It is best grown in pots because of its wrinkled look, globular shape, small size, and low growth rate.