Scientific Name
Astrophytum asterias 'Super Kabuto'
Common Name(s)
Silver Dollar Cactus, Texas Star Cactus
Synonym(s)
Astrophytum asterias 'Superkabuto'
Scientific Classification
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cacteae
Genus: Astrophytum
Origin
Astrophytum asterias 'Super Kabuto' is a cultivar of Astrophytum asterias. It was found in 1981 by the Japanese Masaomi Takeo in an American garden center and sold to Tony Sato.
Description
Astrophytum asterias 'Super Kabuto' is an attractive small cactus with a solitary, spherical, apically depressed stem with usually 8 ribs, white extra-areolar hair tufts, and a mosaic of extensive white spots that make the plant look intensely maculate. It is one of the most popular cactus cultivars with many forms with different patterns of spots available.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Astrophytums are not vigorous plants, requiring a lot of patience to reach their full potential. Keep regularly watering and feeding them during the growing season and repot annually to give them space to develop. They need a temperate, dry winter, and make sure not to overwater them to avoid rotting their roots. They will develop marvelous flowers if given sufficient care once they reach maturity. Watch out for common cactus pests like aphids and scale, as well. These can often be taken care of by a good eco-friendly pesticide or simply wiped away with a cloth.
Repot regularly to help them develop. Astrophytums should be repotted at the beginning of the growing season for best results, allowing them to grow into the impressive specimens for which the genus is known. Protect your hands before repotting due to their stiff spikes, lift the plant out all at once, and then replace it in a larger pot and backfill with soil. Don't overwater or overfeed newly repotted cacti, as disturbances can be hard on them.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Astrophytum.
Links
- Back to genus Astrophytum
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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