Echinopsis aurea (Golden Easter Lily Cactus)

Scientific Name

Echinopsis aurea Britton & Rose

Common Names

Golden Easter Lily Cactus, Golden Cob

Synonyms

Hymenorebutia aurea, Lobivia aurea, Pseudolobivia aurea, Salpingolobivia aurea, Echinopsis quinensis

Scientific Classification

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

Description

Echinopsis aurea is a small, globular to short-cylindrical cactus up to 6 inches (15 cm) tall and up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. It is usually solitary or with many basal and lateral offshoots. The stems is dark green with 14 to 15 sharp-edged ribs, separated by deep grooves. The areoles are brown on young plants. This cactus appears to be very variable regarding number, color and length of the spines. It has 8 to 10 radial spines up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) long. The 4 central spines are much stouter than the radials, often flattened and up to 1.2 inch (3 cm) long. The flowers are usually lemon yellow and bright yellow inside, but this species also has white, pink or red flowers. The are funnel-shaped, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long and appear in late spring and occasionally in summer.

Photo via kakteenforum.com

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °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. It is imperative that the cactus is not exposed to prolonged dampness and sitting water. Never let your cactus sit in a dish of water. Lastly, make sure to fertilize 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 cutting dry out slightly on a paper towel and cut the cacti at the narrowest place possible. 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