Lophophora williamsii
| Light | Bright light with some shade from harsh afternoon sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Sparingly in the growing season; keep bone-dry through a cool winter rest |
| Soil | Very free-draining, mostly mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 10–11 |
| Propagation | Seed (primary); grafting to speed growth; offsets from clustering plants |
| Toxicity | Contains mescaline; a controlled substance in many jurisdictions (see Legal status) |
Lophophora williamsii, widely known as peyote, is a small, spineless, blue-green button cactus with soft woolly areoles and little pink flowers, ranging from southern Texas through the deserts and scrub of north-central Mexico. Slow-growing and squat, it sits nearly flush with the soil and is the best-known member of the genus Lophophora. It has a long history of ceremonial and medicinal use among Indigenous peoples of the region, and it is a controlled species in many countries (see Legal status).
Description
Lophophora williamsii forms a soft, rounded, spineless body typically 4–12 cm across and only a few centimetres tall above the soil. The skin is a distinctive dull blue-green to grey-green, divided into low, broad ribs that are often further broken into rounded, tubercle-like segments. In place of spines, each areole carries a small tuft of white or greyish wool, giving the crown a soft, felted look.
Below ground the plant sits atop a stout, carrot-like taproot that anchors it and stores water and nutrients through long dry spells. Small flowers — usually pale pink, sometimes whitish or deeper rose — open from the woolly crown in the warmer months, followed by slender pink berries containing tiny black seeds. Older plants may cluster into low mounds of several heads.
Distribution and habitat
Peyote is native to the Chihuahuan Desert region, from the lower Rio Grande valley of southern Texas south through the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí and neighbouring areas. It grows on limestone hills, gravelly flats and desert scrub, frequently nestled beneath nurse shrubs that provide light shade and shelter.
In habitat the plant is superbly adapted to drought: during dry spells it draws down into its taproot and shrinks below the soil surface, leaving little more than the flat, wrinkled crown visible among rocks and leaf litter. Wild populations have declined markedly from over-collection, land-use change and slow natural regeneration, and conservation concern for the species is significant. Like the whole cactus family, Lophophora is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Cultivation
As an ornamental and botanical subject, Lophophora williamsii is grown much like other slow desert cacti, and its legality to cultivate varies widely by jurisdiction (see Legal status). It wants a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix and a deep pot to accommodate the long taproot. Give it bright light with a little protection from the fiercest afternoon sun, which can scorch the soft body.
Water is the main hazard: soak thoroughly only when the soil has dried out completely during the growing season, then let it dry again, and keep the plant entirely dry and cool through winter to prevent rot and encourage flowering. The species is naturally very slow on its own roots. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the standard and most reliable method. The small seeds germinate on a warm, humid, mineral surface, though seedlings grow slowly and take years to reach flowering size. Many growers speed things up by grafting seedlings onto a vigorous columnar rootstock, then optionally growing them back onto their own roots later. Clustering plants can also be divided, and individual heads or offsets rooted as for other cacti — see Propagation — offsets and Propagation — seed.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the commonest cause of loss, almost always from overwatering or a slow-draining mix; the body softens and browns from the base or crown.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the body pale, soft and abnormally domed, losing its natural flat form.
- Pests — root mealybugs on the taproot, along with surface mealybugs (white fluff in the areoles) and red spider mites, are the usual culprits. See Pests and diseases.
Legal status
Mescaline occurs naturally — usually in only trace amounts — across a wide range of cactus genera; what sets Lophophora williamsii apart is that it concentrates the alkaloid to unusually high levels, and it is largely for that reason that this species in particular is singled out by drug-control law.
In the United States mescaline (and peyote) is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, with a longstanding limited exemption for bona fide religious use by the Native American Church. Beyond federal law, individual states impose their own rules — California, for example, specifically prohibits cultivating, selling, and possessing peyote — so the plant can be restricted at the state or local level in addition to national law. It is also restricted or prohibited in numerous other countries, though the details vary considerably from place to place.
Separately from drug-control law, the whole genus Lophophora is listed under CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade in wild and cultivated specimens.
Peyote holds deep cultural and religious significance for a number of Indigenous peoples of Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it has been used ceremonially for a very long time. Anyone considering growing this species should first check the specific laws that apply where they live, as legality differs widely between and even within countries. This article is a horticultural reference only and does not describe any preparation or use of the plant.
See also
- Lophophora — the genus overview
- CITES
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets · Pests and diseases