The spiral cactus, also known as Cereus forbesii, is a native of Peru and was once so uncommon that only affluent plant collectors with the means to support biologists had the pleasure of possessing one. Despite growing in popularity, it is still harder to find than other, less uncommon cacti.
The spiral cactus may grow to a height of 6 to 13 feet and a diameter of 4 to 5 inches when fully developed. Contrary to popular belief, not all cacti are slow-growing; the spiral cactus is one among them, and if you give it the right care and attention, you’ll see results immediately.
The plant is waxy to the touch and has a blueish-green tint. They are prolific bloomers and their blossoms are breathtakingly stunning. If you’re fortunate enough to see these blooms, you can pollinate them to create a sizable, non-toxic purple fruit by eating them. We can’t guarantee that it will taste nice if you decide to give it a nibble, but a child or pet can try it without getting hurt. Simply watch out for the incredibly sharp spines.
Where are spiral cacti found?
You’ll quickly see why the Cereus Forbesii Spiralis, also referred to as the Twisted Cactus, is a welcome addition to any plant collection.
Although the exact origins of this odd little cactus are unclear, it is widely believed to be the result of cross-pollination between the Cereus Forbesii and the Cereus Peruvianus.
As a result, Peru or Argentina are most likely the spiral cactus’ native countries. But it is undoubtedly a species from South America.
At first, I was a little let down by mine because it was so bland-looking. That is, until I found out that the plant’s distinctive “twisting of its beauty” doesn’t start until it reaches a specific height.
Typically, this happens at four, to be exact. Consider bringing one of these adorable trinkets home. Let’s learn everything we can about their care.
Describe the spiral cactus.
This intriguing twisted cactus, also known as Cereus peruvianus “Spiralis” or spiral cactus, is simple to grow. It has a distinctive extended stem with stunning blossoms, and it grows swiftly. These plants are believed to be clones of the original plant found in Peru that were propagated vegetatively.
How often should a spiral cactus be watered?
Dear Men: In this blog, I’ll be talking about the fascinating Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis,’ also known as the spiral cactus, and providing information on how to cultivate and take care of it.
ABOUT:
Forbesii’s spiralis cereus Fast-growing columnar and subsequently branching, cacti eventually take on the shape of a candelabra from the base up.
These cacti, which are developed from seeds, begin growing straight while they are young but begin to twist after reaching a height of 5 cm. They can expand to a height of 13 feet.
A few cuttings from the original Cereus forbesii “Spiralis” cactus were removed in the 1980s and smuggled into Europe. The original Cereus forbesii “Spiralis” cactus originated in Brazil. Worldwide sales of Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis’ have almost exclusively come from cuttings or seedlings.
This cactus is being grown more frequently and is available in numerous online and garden supply stores.
You can see a special video I prepared on how to grow and take care of Cereus forbesii “spiralis” cactus for my You Tube channel, Desert Plants of Avalon, below:
A sunny location, window, or greenhouse is best for mature Cereus forbesii “spiralis,” but immature plants prefer more shade until they are more mature. To avoid scorching or yellowing of the cactus skin on extremely hot summer days, if you are growing these cacti inside glass, you will need to shield them from the intense noon heat. A shade cloth or light net curtain can be placed over the glass to do this. If you are growing indoors away from windows or only have a north-facing window that never gets any sun, LED Plant Develop lights can be used to simulate the full spectrum light and sunlight that these cacti require to grow and thrive.
You can use any high-quality cactus soil that is ideally low in peat, but I prefer to make my own cactus soil out of three equal parts of loam, grit, and horticultural sharp sand. You can also use pumice, perlite, or lava rock in place of the grit, but the most crucial thing to keep in mind is that the soil drains quickly and dries out quickly in between waterings.
Here is a video I made on how to make cactus soil in 3 simple steps for my Desert Plants of Avalon You Tube channel:
Keep Cereus forbesii “Spiralis” cacti dry with little to no water over the Winter months. If your cactus starts to look shrivelled over the Winter months then a light watering can be given as long as the temperature you are overwintering your Cactus is above 10 Celsius / 50 Fahrenheit, as temperatures lower than this can cause rot. Water in the Spring and Summer when the soil in the pot has dried out and reduce watering from late
Feed Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis’ Cacti twice a month in the spring and summer with a good quality cactus and succulent fertilizer. You can also use a good quality tomato feed used at half the recommended strength that they recommend for tomatoes. If you’re interested in learning what I like to use to fertilize my cacti and how I do it, check out this video I made for my You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How I
These cacti do not tolerate any frost and prefer a minimum winter temperature of 50 °F (10 °C). It is best to protect these cacti from excessive heat above 85 Fahrenheit / 30 Celsius because stems can scar and scab and yellowing can occur unless plenty of ventilation can be given, open windows, and use circulating fans in very hot sunny weather. The ideal temperature during their growing season in Spring and Summer is around 6080 Fahrenheit / 1527 Celsius.
When a cactus has outgrown its pot and during the spring and summer are the optimum times to repot it. When given ample of root area, Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis’ grows quickly, so you might need to repot it every one to two years. It’s advisable to avoid watering these cacti after repotting them for a week to ten days to give the roots time to adapt to the new soil and container.
If you’re interested in learning how to repot a Cereus forbesii spiralis cactus, check out the video I prepared for my Desert Plants of Avalon You Tube channel, which you can see below:
In the summer, the Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis’ will produce white and pink blossoms with deep purple buds; if the flowers are pollinated, scarlet fruits will develop.
You may see the video I prepared for my Desert Plants of Avalon You Tube channel on how to get your cacti to flower below if you’re interested in learning more about how to get them to bloom.
Cuttings collected in the spring or summer can be used to propagate Cereus forbesii ‘Spiralis’, but they must first fully callus over for a few days or weeks before planting. Over time, these cacti grow tall and begin to branch out; these branches can be cut off and used to propagate new plants. After two to six weeks, seeds will begin to bud. If you’re interested in learning how to raise cacti from seed, check out the video I prepared for my Desert Plants of Avalon You Tube channel, which you can see below.
The most prevalent pests of all cacti are Mealy Bugs and Spider Mites, Thrips, and Scale Insects, but Cereus forbesii’spiralis’ is particularly vulnerable to Mealy Bugs and Scale Insects since these pests love to hide in between the twists on these cacti. Once obvious pests have been eliminated using a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip, treat the entire cactus with an insecticide spray in a methodical manner or with horticultural neem oil combined with horticultural soap. Watch the following video to learn how to use neem oil on cacti to cure pests and diseases, which I created for my Desert Plants of Avalon You Tube channel:
What causes my cactus to twist?
Hardy cacti are quite simple to grow because they don’t take up a lot of your attention. Your cactus does require some specific care in addition to very little water and maintenance. Your cactus is stressed if it starts to grow leaning instead of upright, which you may have seen. Cacti that are grown indoors or outdoors are both susceptible to this. You can save your cactus by detecting the issue early by carefully inspecting your plant to understand what is causing tilting. We have provided a list of common reasons of cactus leaning to assist you in doing that.
Cacti spiral; why?
Although many plants, including cactus and sunflowers, exhibit spiral patterns of growth, the reason behind why they do so has long been a mystery. Now that the issue has been resolved, these patterns let growing plants experience as little mechanical stress as possible.
The spirals are simple to identify. A cactus head, for instance, is covered in bumps, each of which has a sharp tip or “sticker.” It is possible to begin at the center of some cacti and draw spirals connecting each sticker to its closest neighbor. You get three sets of spirals: one with three, one with two, and one with one.
How is Cereus spiralis cared for?
Enormous, robust, shrub-like Cereus forbesii cacti with spectacular, large flowers can be found. They are Brazilian natives, and it was once believed that they were a nursery cultivar of the more popular Cereus forbesii. There is proof that at least one spiralis plant does, however, exist in the wild. In 1980, plant cuttings were gathered and sent to the UK, where they were sold for a high price. Since then, the spiralis that is familiar to us today has been created through cloning and hybrid breeding from seed.
- Cereus forbesii need a lot of direct sunlight. The recommended amount of direct sunlight per day for these plants is eight hours, but five hours should suffice.
- A location in a south-facing window is good if you are growing them inside. In order to shield them from the strongest afternoon sun, plant these outdoors in a location where they will receive some light shade.
- These cactus like warm climates with little humidity. Higher than 70 °F temperatures will be ideal for them.
- Although they may withstand temperatures as low as 28 oF, it is best to move them indoors whenever the nighttime low temperature routinely drops below 50 oF.
- The Cereus forbesii plant can withstand severe droughts. In order to completely saturate the soil, water them well. Always wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again.
- Wait a few days before watering if you’re not sure if the soil is dry. Underwater is far preferable to overwater. Too much moisture can cause root rot very quickly.
- These plants favor a mix that drains quickly and is grittier. Use cactus soil or up to 50% sand and fine pumice in ordinary potting mix to increase texture and drainage.
- These plants can be put directly into the ground and kept outside all year long in desert regions.
- From late spring to early summer, large funnel-shaped flowers bloom; they only open at night and last for up to 24 hours. These plants produce a lot of blooms. Typically, flowers range in hue from pinkish-white to scarlet.
- Although fertilization is not necessary for Cereus forbesii, a boost in nutrients throughout the growing season will make them flourish. Only during the spring and summer, use a fertilizer made especially for cacti and succulents once a month.
- Stem cuttings can be used to successfully reproduce these plants. To cut a section of a stem or a whole branch, use a clean, sharp blade. After a few days in a shaded area to enable the wound to heal over, pot the cutting in a well-drained cactus mix.
- You can also start these plants from seeds. Utilizing a well-drained soil mixture, sow seeds just below the earth’s surface. Create a humid microenvironment to promote germination, and maintain a consistent moisture level in the soil for the first few months to promote seedling growth.
- These cacti are not very vulnerable to diseases and pests. Overwatering a plant can easily result in root rot. Watch out for common pests like scale, aphids, and mealybugs.
- These resilient plants require relatively little upkeep. Cacti planted in containers love to be rootbound, thus only every two years should they need to be repotted. Repot the plant into a pot with a diameter that is two times larger so that it has plenty of room to grow.
- Both people and animals are not known to be poisonous to Cereus forbesii. Keep dogs and young children out of the reach of the spines since they are sharp.
How much can Cereus grow?
The erect column of the Peruvian Apple Cactus serves as a striking focal point. You will receive edible fruit and blossoms from this low-maintenance cactus.
Light: If growing this cactus inside, use a location with direct, bright light. They have a maximum container height of 5 to 6 feet. To prevent the plant from tilting toward the sun, turn the container frequently. They can grow up to 30 feet tall outside and can withstand direct sunlight.
Every two to three weeks, thoroughly water your plants. After watering, let the soil dry up completely.
Will function effectively in typical household humidity. Keep it away from any drafts that come from windows, pathways, or ventilation.
Cautions:
- has several pointed spines. When handling, exercise caution.
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