Escobaria missouriensis
| Light | Full sun to bright light |
|---|---|
| Water | Sparingly in the growing season; keep bone-dry through a cold winter rest |
| Soil | Very gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Exceptionally cold-hardy; tolerates hard frost when dry, roughly USDA zones 4–9 |
| Propagation | Seed; division of older clumps |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Escobaria missouriensis is a small, cold-hardy cactus of the North American Great Plains, notable for its greenish-yellow to straw-coloured flowers and its bright red, fleshy fruits. Ranging far to the north and into high-elevation grasslands, it is one of the most frost-tolerant of all cacti and can survive winters that would kill almost any other member of the family. It is sometimes still met under the older names Neobesseya missouriensis and Coryphantha missouriensis, and is widely known as the Missouri foxtail cactus.
Description
Escobaria missouriensis is a low, tubercled cactus that grows as a solitary head when young and often forms small clumps with age. Rather than true ribs, the body is built from soft, rounded tubercles arranged in spirals, each tipped with an areole bearing a spreading cluster of slender, greyish spines. The spines are relatively soft, and central spines may be weak or absent, so the plant lacks the fierce armament of many desert cacti.
The flowers are the species' signature: modest, bell- to star-shaped blooms in greenish-yellow, cream or straw tones, sometimes flushed with pink or bronze, opening at the top of the plant in late spring and summer. They are followed by conspicuous, rounded, fleshy fruits that ripen a bright scarlet red and can persist for a long time, standing out vividly against the drab grassland in which the plant grows.
Through the coldest months the plant shrinks and pulls itself down toward the soil surface, dehydrating its tissues so that little more than a wrinkled, contracted body remains. This contraction is a key part of how it survives deep freezes.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the Great Plains and adjacent grasslands of North America, with a range extending unusually far north for a cactus — reaching into the northern plains states and up toward the Canadian border, and southward through the central plains. It typically grows in short-grass prairie, rocky slopes and gravelly, well-drained ground, often tucked among grasses and low vegetation that give it a little shelter.
Because so much of its range lies in cold-winter, continental climates, E. missouriensis endures long freezes, snow cover and wide temperature swings. Its survival depends on sharp drainage and a very dry winter dormancy; in habitat it is the dryness of these gritty soils in winter, as much as the plant's own hardiness, that keeps it alive.
Cultivation
Escobaria missouriensis is prized by growers of hardy cacti and can be grown outdoors year-round in surprisingly cold regions, but only if kept dry in winter. The single most important requirement is a very gritty, mostly mineral mix with excellent drainage; wet, cold roots cause rot far more reliably than cold alone. Grow it in full sun to encourage compact growth, tight spination and good flowering.
Water regularly but moderately during the warm growing season, always allowing the soil to dry out between waterings, then withhold water almost entirely as temperatures fall. In an unheated frame, rock garden or raised gritty bed it can take hard frost when dust-dry; in wetter climates it is safest grown in a pot that can be moved under cover for winter, or given an overhead rain shield. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the usual method. Fresh seed cleaned from the ripe red fruits germinates readily when sown on a gritty, mineral surface kept warm and lightly humid; a cold period before sowing can help even out germination. Seedlings are slow at first and benefit from bright light and careful, restrained watering.
Older plants that have formed clumps can also be divided, lifting and separating rooted heads and allowing any cut surfaces to callus before potting them up. See Propagation — seed and Propagation — offsets for full walkthroughs.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the main killer, caused by a mix that stays wet, especially in cold weather; the plant softens and collapses from the base. Sharp drainage and a dry winter are the cure.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the body soft, elongated and pale, and reduces flowering.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff among the tubercles and on the roots) and red spider mites are the usual offenders under glass; root mealybugs in particular can go unnoticed until repotting.
See also
- Escobaria — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets · Repotting · Pests and diseases