Lobivia cinnabarina
| Light | Bright light with some protection from the harshest afternoon sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Regularly in the growing season once the mix has dried; keep dry and cool in winter |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; enjoys cool, dry winters |
| Propagation | Seed; offsets from clustering plants |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Lobivia cinnabarina is a small, flattened-globular cactus from the Bolivian highlands, prized for the vivid cinnabar-red flowers that give it its name. Among the most eye-catching members of the genus Lobivia, it rewards growers with large, brilliantly coloured blooms carried on a modest, easily accommodated body. It is also known under the synonym Echinopsis cinnabarina, reflecting the ongoing reshuffling of these Andean cacti between Lobivia and Echinopsis.
Description
Lobivia cinnabarina forms a solitary or slowly clustering, depressed-globular stem, typically flattened rather than tall and only a handful of centimetres across. The body is dark greyish- to bluish-green, divided into numerous ribs that are broken into low, tuberculate humps. Short, stiff spines emerge from the woolly areoles, curving against the body and varying in length and colour from plant to plant.
The flowers are the species' great attraction: broad, funnel-shaped and an intense cinnabar to scarlet-red, opening wide by day in spring and early summer. They are large relative to the plant and are borne low on the stem, often several at once, making a well-grown specimen a striking sight when in full bloom.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the highlands of central Bolivia, where it grows in montane grassland and rocky slopes at considerable altitude. In these habitats it experiences strong sunlight, a distinct wet-and-dry seasonal rhythm, and cold, dry winters — conditions that shape its cultivation needs. Plants often nestle among rocks and low vegetation that afford some shelter and sharp drainage.
Cultivation
Lobivia cinnabarina is a rewarding and relatively undemanding cactus for the collector who respects its highland origins. Grow it in a gritty, mostly mineral mix with excellent drainage, in bright light with a little shade from the fiercest afternoon sun. During the growing season water thoroughly once the mix has dried, then allow it to dry again; the plant appreciates more generous watering in active growth than many desert cacti.
Through winter, keep the plant cool and completely dry. This dry, cool rest is important both to prevent rot and to encourage the following season's flush of flowers. Being a high-altitude plant, it tolerates cold well as long as it is kept dry, but protect it from freezing. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the usual method and germinates readily on a warm, mineral surface kept humid until the seedlings establish; see Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough. Plants that cluster can also be increased by removing rooted offsets, which are potted up like small cuttings — see Propagation — offsets. As with related Andean cacti, seed-raised plants show natural variation in spination and flower shade, part of the appeal of growing the species from seed.
Common problems
- Rot — the most common cause of loss, almost always from overwatering or a slow-draining mix, especially if the plant is kept damp and cold in winter.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the normally flat body dome upward and grow pale and soft, spoiling its compact form.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the areoles and among the roots) and red spider mites (fine webbing and bronzed skin) are the usual offenders; see Pests and diseases.
- Shy flowering — usually a sign the plant was not given a proper cool, dry winter rest.
See also
- Lobivia — the genus overview
- Echinopsis — the genus into which Lobivia is often merged
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets · Repotting · Pests and diseases