Ariocarpus confusus / 10 seeds (False Peyote, Living Rock Cactus)

Ariocarpus confusus is a beautiful cactus native to Aramberri area of Nuevo Leon in Mexico. It is a solitary globose plant with a thick stem and triangular green leaves that form attractive rosettes. Its most striking feature is its magenta flowers that are different than those of any other species in its genus. The flowers can even be white or bi-colored. They are up to 4 cm long and 3 to 5 cm in diameter. The plant stays close to the ground and barely grows to a height of 4 to 10 cm. it has tan brownish to green/magenta tubercles that are not crowded or basally compressed, are acute at the apices, smooth and flattened adaxially, strongly incurved, 3-8 cm long, 1-2.5 cm broad, with no fissure. They sometimes have a terminal areole at the tip.

Ariocarpus confusus needs plenty of direct sunlight to grow well. So, if you’re growing it outdoors, you should keep it under the sun for a few hours during the day. If you’re growing it indoors, keep it in a balcony or windowsill which receives plenty of sunlight. However, extremely intense light can cause burns and damage the growth. To avoid this, if you live in a hot area, keep it in shade during the hottest part of the day. This plant can grow well at room temperatures and can even tolerate low temperatures. It’s also frost hardy up to -10-degree C.

Ariocarpus confusus needs regular watering during its growing season i.e., usually spring and summer. Watering should even be extended till fall. Make sure you water this cactus well but avoid overwatering that can cause root rot, a common problem with most cacti. Also make sure the soil is completely dry before the next watering. Since winter is its dormancy period, you need not water it and it also doesn’t need much care during this season. Watering from the bottom is the best practice to water Ariocarpus confusus as it prevents the ‘wool’ at the plant’s top from being matted or discolored.

You can fertilize Ariocarpus confusus once a month or whenever you water it (which should also be once a month). The fertilizer should have an equal balance of the essential nutrients i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Make sure you dilute the fertilizer while applying. Also, too much feeding should be avoided, as it will do more harm than good. Fertilizer should not be added during the dormancy period, i.e., winter.

Ariocarpus confusus is prone to scale insects and mealybugs. You can remove them by hand or with an insecticide or a homemade solution made from alcohol.

Overwatering and overfertilization are other most common hazards. If you use a container for this cactus, the pot should be large enough to accommodate its fleshy taproot or it could wither soon.

Ariocarpus confusus can be propagated through seeds and cuttings.