Browningia hertlingiana cactus / 10 seeds (Blue Cactus, Blue Cereus, Sanque Grande)

Browningia hertlingiana is a huge, columnar cactus native to the Mantaro Valley, southern Peru. It grows on steep slopes of the Andes in dry forests at an altitude of around 3,000m. It’s commonly known as Blue Cereus due to its characteristic turquoise appearance. This blue color makes this cactus highly sought after by collectors. The columnar stem has a few branches and can get up to 8m tall and 4m wide. Several stems arise from the main one and are bright turquoise (when young) to olive green in color with aging. To get the typical blue color, Browningia hertlingiana needs a warm climate and a huge amount of light. It has tuberculate ribs on which areoles are formed. There are also spines, which are of two types, the juvenile ones are 5-8 per areole and are differentiated in centrals (stouter and are 1 to 3), and radials, yellow with a brown tip, and the ones on the upper part of the stem are up to 30 and look almost equal, are yellowish and are flexible. When the plant becomes 1 m tall, it blooms in summer. Flowers are nocturnal, white, up to 5 cm in diameter with a purplish-brown curved tube with imbricate ciliate scales. Fruits are dry up to 2-5 cm in diameter.

As such, Browningia hertlingiana are abundant in its habitat, but due to the increase in agricultural activities around it, the population is decreasing.

Browningia hertlingiana is an easy-to-grow plant although slow-growing. It needs a lot of light, so full sun exposure with plenty of airflow is required for best appearance. It’s cold hardy up to -5-degree C or lower with dry soil for short periods. However, in cultivation, it’s not recommended to expose this cactus to temperatures below -5-degree C even in a protected or aerated location. It needs regular watering during its growing season i.e., March to October. Its thin fibrous roots suffer in presence of humidity and hence you should water it only when the surrounding terrain is dry. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Grow in a well-draining soil as the plant is very prone to rottenness in presence of humidity and low temperatures. Keep dry as soon as the temperature starts dropping in October and keep perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5- to 15-degree C. It tends to rot in winter dormancy if kept wet. So, during the rest period, there should be no atmospheric humidity. Don’t water preferably on overcast, humid or cold winter days.

Older plants will need to be supported as they tend to collapse under their own weight.

With a low nitrogen fertilizer in spring and summer, Browningia hertlingiana grows much faster.

Repot Browningia hertlingiana when the roots become cramped. As such, it should be repotted every other year so as to provide fresh soil. But after repotting, don’t water for a week or more. Pot should have good drainage.

Browningia hertlingiana can attract a variety of insects although plants in good health are almost pest-free especially if they’re grow in a mineral potting-mix with good exposure and aeration. However, watch for pests like mealy bugs, red spiders and scales. Rot is only a minor problem if the plant is correctly watered and ‘aired’. To prevent rottenness, it’s recommended to surround the root neck with very rough sand or grit which helps a fast water drainage.

Propagation of Browningia hertlingiana can be easily done with seeds.