Echinopsis 'Wotan' (Peanut Cactus)

Scientific Name

Echinopsis 'Wotan'

Common Name(s)

Peanut Cactus

Synonym(s)

Chamaecereus 'Wotan', Echinopsis chamaecereus 'Wotan', ×Chamaelobivia 'Wotan'

Scientific Classification

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Trichocereeae
Genus: Echinopsis

Description

Echinopsis 'Wotan', also known as Echinopsis chamaecereus 'Wotan' or ×Chamaelobivia 'Wotan', is a cactus with an upright growth habit that offsets and blooms profusely. Stems are thicker than those of Echinopsis chamaecereus. Flowers are up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and orange-red in color.

Echinopsis 'Wotan' (Peanut Cactus), aka Echinopsis chamaecereus 'Wotan' or ×Chamaelobivia 'Wotan' — *Photo via lapshin.org*

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

If you can grow cacti and succulents successfully, you can likely grow the Echinopsis species without too much trouble. Like many cacti, they prefer a drying period between waterings, even to the point where they slightly wilt. When you water, however, you should water deeply. The plant will noticeably plump up. The cactus mustn't be exposed to prolonged dampness and sitting water. Never let your cactus sit in a dish of water. Lastly, make sure to fertilizer during the growing season for the best results.

Echinopsis can be easily rooted from offsets, which tend to cluster around the base of the mother plant. Cut offsets close to the stem at the narrowest possible place. When rooting cacti from cuttings, let the fresh-cut dry out slightly on a paper towel and cut the cacti at the narrowest possible place. After a few days to a few weeks, depending on the size of the cut surface, the cut surface should have dried out and formed a callous or slightly rough opening. Once the callous has formed, place the cutting in a rooting mixture of fast-draining cacti soil.

See more at How to Grow and Care for Echinopsis.

Origin

This cactus, formerly known as ×Chamaelobivia 'Wotan', is a hybrid between Chamaecereus silvestrii (now renamed Echinopsis chamaecereus) and unknown Lobvia, but since Chamaecereus and Lobvia are now reclassified as Echinopsis, that makes it an Echinopsis hybrid.