Escobaria abdita

Scientific Name

Escobaria abdita Řepka & Vaško

Synonym(s)

Escobaria abdita subsp. abdita, Neobesseya abdita

Scientific Classification

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cacteae
Genus: Escobaria

Origin

Escobaria abdita is native to Mexico. It occurs south of El Oro, a small town in Coahuila, in temporarily flooded depressions, immersed in the loamy soil practically throughout the year.

Description

Escobaria abdita is an attractive small geophytic cactus with a swollen root and stems with short ivory to chalk white spines. The stems are spherical and can grow up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter.

The flowers appear in late spring and have white tepals with light pink stripes and yellow anthers. They are funnelform and can reach up to 1.8 inches (4.5 cm) in length and 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) in diameter. The fruits can grow up to 0.3 inches (0.8 cm) in length and diameter.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

Escobarias are susceptible to rot and require well-drained soil without excess water or stagnation. It has been observed that the plants also suffer from environmental humidity, which should preferably remain very low (30 to 50 %). Avoid watering during the winter, when the plant is dormant. Watering Escobaria in cold environmental conditions will almost certainly lead to the plant's death. The plants, whose growth is typically quite slow, perceive a significant temperature difference between night and day in the growing season.

The experienced grower knows well the difficulties of survival of the members of this genus, which is certainly not one of the easiest to grow. The seed germination rate is lower than other genera, and other propagation methods are preferable, such as offsets or cuttings.

Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Escobaria.

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