Night-Blooming Hedge-Hogs Echinopsis oxygona
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Cereus oxygonus
- Echinocactus eyriesii
- Echinocactus oxygonus
- Echinonyctanthus oxygonus
- Echinopsis multiplex
- Echinopsis oxygona f. multiplex
- Phonetic Spelling
- ek-in-OP-sis ok-SEE-goh-nuh
- Description
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Easter lily cactus is native to Brazil and Argentina and is a member of the cactus family (Cactaceae). It may be found growing on walls and rocky areas in grasslands and forests of its native habitat. This plant has a clumping or mat-forming habit, and its stems are short, rounded to cylinder-like and ribbed with black spines. It is fast-growing and measures up to 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide.
Easter lily cactus prefers full sun to partial shade, but it will appreciate some protection from the afternoon sun. If planted in a container, well-drained cactus or succulent mix is recommended to promote adequate drainage. Since it is fast-growing for a cactus, it will require a little more water than some cacti. Be sure to cut back watering in the winter months. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 8b to 11b and is able to withstand a light frost, if kept dry. The plant will produce offsets that can be used to propagate new plants when they are large enough. They may also be propagated by seeds.
This plant has rounded green to grayish-green stems that eventually will become short and cylinder-like. Each stem forms 11 to 18 straight ribs and has short, black or yellowish brown spines. Each areole has 1 to 5 central spines and 3 to 15 radial spines. The flowers are showy, funnel-shaped, white or pink, measure 4 inches in diameter, and appear on long wooly stems. The blooms have a sweet scent and are night-blooming. On hot days, the flowers open in the evening and wither by midday the following day; however, on cooler days, the bloom will last a bit longer. Blooming occurs in spring to summer. Sometimes a mature plant may have as many as 12 blooms at the same time. Large green fruits with tufts of long fibrous threads appear after flowering is completed.
In warm winter climates, this plant can be used in rock or crevice gardens. Most often, this plant is used as a container houseplant. It is easy to grow, low maintenance, and will reward you with beautiful, scented, evening flowers in the spring or summer.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems, but monitor for spider mites and mealybugs. Overwatering can lead to fungal diseases such as root rot. It is Intolerant of high humidity.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Echinopsis
- Species:
- oxygona
- Family:
- Cactaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Most often used as a houseplant.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Brazil to Northeast Argentina
- Distribution:
- Native: Northeast Argentina, South Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Introduced: Galapagos, KwaZulu-Natal, Spain, and Tunisia.
- Wildlife Value:
- The flowers attract moths and butterflies.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Easy to Grow
- Fragrance
- Textural
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer and rabbit-resistant
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Houseplant
- Succulent
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruits are green and measure up to 2 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter. The fleshy fruits have tufts of long fibrous threads on the surface and contains many seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Funnel
- Flower Petals:
- more than 20 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are night-blooming and are white to pink with multiple rays. The bloom can reach up to 4 inches across, and may produce flowers in the late spring to summer. The blooms open in the evening and wither by the following afternoon. A mature plant can have up to 12 blooms at once.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- This plant has many spines that are modified leaves.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are green to grayish-green rounded to elongated then become short cylinders. They cluster at the base. The stem has 11 to 18 ribs, and the spines are short, stout, black to yellow-brown, and measure up to 1-inch long. Each aerole has 1 to 5 central spines and 3 to 15 radial spines.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Patio
- Pool/Hardscape
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Heat
- Insect Pests
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Spines/Thorns