Cacti
Rebutia – An Easy-to-Grow Cactus Genus with Stunning Flowers
Mar
A wonderful thing about cacti is that you take any genus of cactus and you get a tremendous range of species, each with its own beauty and character. Rebutia is such a genus with a great variety of species. It belongs to the family Cactaceae. These beauties occur in the hilly regions of Bolivia and Argentina. The genus got its name after a French cactus lover, Monsieur P. Rebut. Let’s take a look at some prominent and beautiful species in genus Rebutia.
Rebutia cintia
Rebutia cintia’s scientific name is Rebutia cintia Hjertson, and it’s commonly called Cintia knizei, Copiapoa knizei and Weingartia cintia. This is a dwarf cactus with globose stems that grow up to 2 inches (5cm) in diameter. The stem varies in color from olive-green to purple or brown depending on the season, amount of water and sun received. Its roots are tuberous resembling carrots and grow up to 4 inches (10cm) long. They have woolly spineless areoles that are sunken between the tubercles. Flowers appear in spring on the stem tip and are yellow and up to 1.6 inches (4cm) in diameter.
The epithet ‘cintia’ in the name of this plant refers to the name of the province Nor Cinti. The plant was first discovered by Karel Knize in 1969 but was formally described not until 1996 by Jan Riha under the name Cintia knizei.
The USDA Hardiness zone for Rebutia cintia is 9b to 11b, from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
Rebutias are fairly easy to grow. Their light and water needs are typically same as many cactus species, including cooling period in the winter, to encourage better blooming. You should water these plants carefully allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. The plant should not be exposed to prolonged periods of dampness and sitting water.
The beauty of Rebutia cintia is at its peak when it blooms with bright yellow flowers.
Rebutia ‘Apricot Ice’
Rebutia Apricot Ice is a small cactus with globular to cylindrical stem covered with soft, white hair-like spines. To start with, this plant is solitary, but soon becomes a large compact mound with its offsets.
The USDA Hardiness zone for Rebutia Apricot Ice is 9b to 11b, from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
This plant is easy to grow, just like other rebutias, with typical water and light requirements. Soil should dry out between waterings. This plant is a real beauty after blooming when it’s a stunning display. Flowers are funnel-shaped, orange, fade to apricot pink, and 0.8 inches (2cm) in diameter.
Rebutia fiebrigii (Orange Crown Cactus)
Popularly known as orange crown cactus or flame cactus, Rebutia fiebrigii is a cactus that starts solitary and later forms a compact mound with offsets. Stems are roundish to a bit elongated and up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) in diameter with light green tubercles and short white spines. This beautiful plant is a free flowering species with its flowers occurring halfway up the stems, curving upward. They are bright orange, yellow, or vermilion red, funnel-shaped, up to 1.8 inches (4cm) long and up to 1.6 inches (4cm) in diameter.
Rebutia fiebrigii grows in the USDA Hardiness Zones from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
This plant is also easy to grow with typical water and light requirements. Soil should be let dry out between waterings and the plant shouldn’t be exposed to dampness and sitting water for prolonged periods. You can enjoy its true beauty when it blooms.
Rebutia ‘Sunrise’
Rebutia Sunrise is a lovely cactus with roundish or flattened light green stems tightly covered with appressed spines resembling to some amount with Rebutia heliosa and beautiful fresh pinkish-white flowers. Stems of Rebutia Sunrise are up to 1.2 inches (3cm) in diameter. The USDA Hardiness zones for Rebutia Sunrise are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
Rebutia Sunrise is also easy to grow with typical water and light requirements. You should water it carefully and let the soil dry out between waterings. You should not let the plant stand in dampness or sitting water for prolonged periods.
Rebutia Sunrise looks the most beautiful when it blooms. Flowers are fresh pinkish-white, funnel-shaped and up to 1.2 inches (3cm) in diameter.
Rebutia heliosa subsp. cajasensis
Rebutia heliosa var. cajasensis is a tiny cactus with grey-green stems and fine silvery spider-like spines covering the small stems almost completely in a spiral pattern. This plant starts as solitary, but soon the offsets form a clump with many heads. The areoles are small, elongated, with a brown felt.
The USDA Hardiness Zones for Rebutia heliosa var. cajasensis are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
Rebutia heliosa subsp. cajasensis is easy to grow with typical water and light needs. It needs careful watering and soil should dry out between waterings, and the plant should not be exposed to prolonged periods of dampness and sitting water. The plant offers a stunning display after flowering. Flowers are funnel-shaped and red or orange-red in color, up to 2 inches (5cm) long and 1.6 inches (4cm) in diameter.
Rebutia heliosa subsp. teresae
Also known as Rebutia teresae, Rebutia heliosa subsp. teresaie is a long-spined variety of Rebutia heliosa. It’s a dwarf cactus, firstly solitary and then offsets form a clump densely coved in brown areoles with white pectinate spines, offering them a silvery look. The spines are not as appressed and the areoles are not as elongated as in the typical subspecies.
USDA The Hardiness Zones for Rebutia heliosa var. teresae are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
This plant is also easy to grow with typical water and light requirements, including a cooling period in the winter for better blooming. Careful watering is needed and soil should be let dry out between waterings and the plant should not be let stand in dampness or sitting water for longer periods. This plant also looks stunning when it blooms. Flowers are intensely red-orange with a pinkish blush on the outer tepals.
Rebutia deminuta
Also known as Crimson Crown Cactus, Rebutia deminuta is a small, free-flowering cactus that grows solitary or branching around the bottom to form small mounds up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter, hardly rising above the ground level. This species is variable. The stems are bright shiny green, roundish to more or less cylindrical, sometimes tapering apically, up to 2.4 inches (6cm) tall and 1.4 inches (3.5cm) in diameter. They have 11 to 13 spirally arranged ribs that are divided into bumps. Areoles are whitish gray. Spines are up to 0.25 inches (6mm) long, sometimes curved, ocher or pinkish and turn white with a rusty brown tip.
USDA The Hardiness Zones for Rebutia deminuta are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
Rebutia deminuta is easy to grow with typical light and water needs. Careful watering is required and soil should dry out between waterings. The plant should not be allowed to stand in dampness or sitting water for longer periods. This plant too looks stunning when it blooms. Flowers are intensely red, orange or dark purple, funnel-shaped, up to 1.2 inches (3cm) long with equal diameter and are arranged in a ring around the stem’s base.
Rebutia pulchra
A lovely cactus, Rebutia pulchra branches profusely to form a mound upon maturity. The stems are dull olive-green tinged with red to dark violet and up to 2 inches (5cm) in diameter and up to 1.2 inches (3cm) tall. They are covered with flat tubercles that vary in color from dark green to violet. Older plants have tubercles arranged in up to 16 spiral lines merging in the apex. The areoles are narrow with short white felt. Spines are up to 0.5 inches (1cm) long and are yellow or brown.
The USDA Hardiness Zones for Rebutia pulchra are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 20-degree F (-6.7-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
Rebutia pulchra is also easy to grow with fairly typical light and watering needs. Careful watering is required and soil should dry out between waterings. The plant should not be allowed to stand in dampness or sitting water for prolonged periods. The plant makes a striking display when it blooms in late spring. Flowers are pale to dark magenta or red, sometimes bicolored with white throats, up to 1.6 inches (4cm) long with equal diameter.
Rebutia rauschii
Rebutia rauschii is a variety of the variable Rebutia canigueralii. This is a small cactus, often clustering, rarely solitary and forms clumps of several purple stems with typical very short, black spines arranged in the form of a fishbone. Stems are up to 1.6 inches (4cm) tall and up to 2 inches (5cm) in diameter and are covered with flat tubercles that vary in color from dark green to violet. In older plants, tubercles are arranged in up to 16 spiral lines merging in the apex. Areoles are long, narrow, with short white felt. Spines are short, black and fully flattened against the tubercles.
The USDA Hardiness Zones for Rebutia rauschii are from 9b to 11b i.e., from 25-degree F (-3.9-degree C) to 50-degree F (10-degree C).
This cactus is also easy to grow with typical water and light requirements. Careful watering is required and soil should dry out between waterings. Prolonged periods of dampness or sitting water should be avoided. Expect a stunning display when it blooms, with funnel-shaped yellow-green flowers with tan-colored scales and deep magenta tepals, up to 2 inches (5cm) long with equal diameter. Fruits are reddish-brown and up to 0.2 inches (5mm) wide.
These are only a few varieties of the Rebutia genus. There are so many more. All in all, you can see that all these species are very easy to grow with almost the same growing needs, hardiness zones and a stunning display upon blooming. Don’t you think you should have at least one Rebutia in your cactus collection?