Cacti
Easter Lily Cactus – A Must-have Fragrant Beauty for Any Cactus Collection
Mar
Would you like to have a beautiful cactus that will produce flowers that will not only look beautiful but will also have amazing fragrance? Well, then you should consider growing the Easter Lily Cactus.
What is Easter Lily Cactus?
Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis oxygona) is a small-sized cactus that has globose to elongated stems. It grows up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall and 10 inches (25 cm) wide. The stems may be solitary or may have several, basal and lateral offsets. Areoles have spines that are curved, black-tipped, yellowish-brown and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
Flowers are perhaps the most coveted and most prominent feature of Easter Lily Cactus. These funnel-shaped flowers bloom at night, come in various colors such as lavender, pale red, pink or white and are very fragrant. They are up to 8 inches (20 cm) long and up to 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter. The plant typically blooms during the spring, around Easter and hence the name.
Fruits of Easter Lily Cactus are green and are up to 2 inches (5 cm) long and up to 1.5 inches (4 cm) in diameter.
This cactus is typically used for its spring color display. It can be used in rock and cactus gardens, in containers, as an understory plant with filtered shade and long pathways.
Hardiness Zones
Easter Lily Cactus grows well in USDA plant hardiness zones 8b through 11b. Thus, it can bear temperatures from 15 degree F (-9.4 degree C) to 50 degree F (10 degree C).
How to Grow
Easter Lily Cactus is an easy-to-grow plant if you’ve grown cacti and succulents successfully.
It can be grown from seeds, but then it takes around 4 years to bloom.
It can be easily grown from offsets which usually cluster around the base of the mother plant. You should cut these offsets close to the stem, at the narrowest point possible.
You can even grow the plant from cuttings. But the fresh cutting should be cut at the narrowest place possible and dried out slightly on a paper towel. Within a few days to a few weeks, the cut spot should dry out and form a callous or slightly rough opening, depending upon the size of the cut surface. Once the callous is formed, place the cutting in fast-draining cactus soil.
How to Take Care of Easter Lily Cactus
Easter Lily Cactus needs deep watering. But similar to many other cacti, it likes a drying period between waterings, even up to the extent where they slightly wilt. Deep watering will make the plant remarkably plump. However, you should not expose it to extended periods of dampness and sitting water. Irrigation should be suspended in the winter, but you should mist the plant occasionally. Also, for the best results, you’ll have to fertilize it during the growth season; but suspend feeding during the winter dormancy period.
Growing Easter Lily Cactus is a wonderful experience because of the colorful plant and beautiful fragrant flowers. Add this lovely cactus to your collection and enjoy the beauty.