I ordered this Echinopsis hertrichiana from Huntington Gardens in California through the CSSA Cactus journal in 2020. I kept it in a pot so I could bring it in during the winter because it was small, and I wasn’t sure how well it would take our winters. So, for four years it has grown slowly, seems to attract mealy bugs, and finally, this year it has bloomed. And its a striking bloom, worth the wait.
Sometimes called a golden torch, although I am not sure why since the flower is not golden nor is the cactus itself It does have some gold in the center, so maybe that is where the common name came from. It was sold me to as Echinopsis hertrichiana, but when I googled it, the name Lobivia herttichiana was also listed. Names do go through changes as studies of DNA and tissue samples sometimes put the cactus in a different family. The plant is native to Peru, Bolivia, and one place in Chile, which is one reason it is endangered. Tourists who visit nearby Inca ruins disturb the habitat and collect plants. They can grow into a solitary cactus or form clumps. This one seems to be trying to make clumps as little cactus are forming on the body of the plant. They are said to be cold hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, but I suspect I would cover it in the winter if I plant it in the ground, just to be sure. Putting it in the ground outside might keep the mealy bugs away, so I might consider it.
The flower is this beautiful deep color, but it also has an interesting center.
You can see the clumping cactus coming up on the sides of the plant. Perhaps if it was growing outside in the ground they would fill in faster and look like more of a clump.
It bloomed first in May and then surprised me with another flower now, in August. As the plant grows, perhaps it will have more than one bloom at a time, and maybe more than once a year.
Something to look forward to.
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