Hildewintera colademononis - monkey tail (Square pot 7x7x10 cm)

Genus composed of about 50 species of cacti, generally bushy, with an erect or prostrate habit, native to South America, present in different types of habitats. Hildewintera colademononis is an endemic species of the Department of Samaipata in Bolivia, it grows in a tropical jungle at the foot of the Andes at an altitude between 1300 and 1500 m above sea level on vertical rock faces in small pockets of earth. It has a drooping and bushy habit, being able to stretch up to 2 meters in length. The cylindrical stems of 3-4 cm in diameter are covered with soft golden yellow spines, not very sharp. In spring, numerous red-orange flowers appear at the top of the stems. The magnificent flowering is staggered and continues until the end of summer.

Pedoclimatic requirements

It adapts to types of soil as long as they are not calcareous and well drained with a good content of organic matter. Watering in winter must be very limited, while in spring-summer it will be done regularly, waiting for the soil to dry between one administration and the other. However, it resists drought well. It prefers exposure to full sun or only partially shaded. Due to its drooping development, it is suitable for being grown both in suspended pots and in small pockets of earth in dry stone walls or rock gardens. A partially rustic species, it resists short frosts up to -2°/-4°C. In the event of strong and persistent frosts, keep the plant sheltered during the coldest periods to ensure its survival.

Botanical Information

Botanical Name: Hildewintera colademononis sin Cleistocactus winteri subsp. colademononis

Family: Cactaceae