Lobivia pentlandii
| Light | Bright light with some direct sun; ventilated |
|---|---|
| Water | Regularly in the growing season, allowing to dry between waterings; keep dry and cold in winter |
| Soil | Fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Tolerates hard frost if kept bone dry; hardy to around −10 °C when dry |
| Propagation | Seed and offsets |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Lobivia pentlandii is a variable, clumping cactus from the high Andes of Bolivia and southern Peru, prized for the size and colour of its blooms. From a cluster of squat, ribbed green stems it throws large, funnel-shaped flowers in a remarkable range of colours — pink, orange, red and yellow, often with a paler throat — making it one of the most rewarding cold-hardy species in the Lobivia group. It is also widely catalogued under the name Echinopsis pentlandii, reflecting the ongoing merger of Lobivia into the broader genus Echinopsis.
Description
Lobivia pentlandii forms low mounds of globular to shortly cylindrical stems, each roughly 5–10 cm across, that offset freely with age to build a broad clump. The stems carry a dozen or so notched, tuberculate ribs lined with woolly areoles, from which radiate stout, curved spines that vary widely in length and colour from plant to plant.
The flowers are the main attraction: broad, funnel-shaped and 3–5 cm across, borne on short tubes low on the stem in late spring and early summer. Colour is famously inconstant across the species' range, spanning pink, salmon, orange, scarlet and yellow, frequently with a contrasting lighter zone at the centre. Each bloom lasts a couple of days, and an established clump can carry many at once.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the altiplano and surrounding mountains of Bolivia and southern Peru, where it grows at high elevation — often well above 3,000 metres — among rocks and coarse grassland. At these altitudes plants endure intense sunlight, wide swings between day and night temperatures, a distinct summer rainy season and a cold, dry winter. This upbringing accounts for both the plant's toughness and its considerable natural variability, and populations from different valleys can look quite distinct.
Cultivation
Lobivia pentlandii is an accommodating plant for a species with such showy flowers. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a bright, airy spot with plenty of direct sun to keep the growth compact and encourage flowering. Water regularly through the warm months, letting the mix dry out between drinks, then stop almost entirely once autumn arrives.
The key to good flowering — and to cold tolerance — is a cold, completely dry winter rest. Kept bone dry, plants shrug off hard frost and even short spells well below freezing, so many growers overwinter them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Wet cold, by contrast, is fatal. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The species is easily increased both ways. It offsets generously, and rooted or unrooted pups can be detached and potted up — see Propagation — offsets. It also comes readily from seed, which is the usual route to new flower colours given how variable the species is; sow onto a warm, gritty surface and keep humid until the seedlings establish, as described in Propagation — seed.
Common problems
- Rot — the commonest cause of loss, almost always from watering while cold or from a slow-draining mix; keep plants dry over winter.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the stems soft, pale and elongated, and discourages flowering.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the areoles and among the roots) and red spider mites are the usual offenders; inspect the crown and rootball periodically.
See also
- Lobivia — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — seed · Repotting · Pests and diseases