These plants are very drought tolerant, so overwatering can cause leaf drop, root rot and put the plant at greater risk of opportunistic pests. It is essential to avoid overwatering your moon cactus. You can graft the pups onto new rootstock. Use a sharp, sterile blade or simply twist off the pups. However, if you want to keep a more regular circular shape, you can trim off any pups that grow on the sides of your mother plant. Moon cactus don’t require any other maintenance. Water it a couple of days before repotting to hydrate the roots and make them more resilient to transplant shock. Repot your moon cactus in the spring, at the beginning of its growing season. When it dies, the moon cactus will die too – unless you remove and regraft your moon cactus onto a new rootstock.
Over time the host plant will eventually weaken from supporting both plants. One other thing to keep in mind is that moon cacti often don’t live beyond a few years, even when well cared for. Growing a happy moon cactus means being attentive to the needs of the cactus and the host. The most common choice for the rootstock is a Hylocereus cactus (commonly referred to as dragonfruit). To live, they must draw sustenance from a host plant, onto which they are grafted. In the absence of chlorophyll, the underlying color–vivid red, orange, yellow, pink, or even purple–becomes visible.īecause they can’t produce chlorophyll, these beautiful freaks cannot survive in nature. The cultivars sold as houseplants are a mutated version that cannot produce chlorophyll. In South American deserts where it is endemic, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii is green from chlorophyll, but rich green masks other colors.
And, as adorable as it may be, the moon cactus is best described as a parasitic mutant. Understanding your cactus’ origin story is the first step in meeting its needs. Usually, the whole plant’s maximum height is in the 4-12 inch range. The moon cactus typically only grows an inch or two high, but the height of the rootstock may vary. The cactus is a slow grower, but you can expect to see most of that growth from late spring through early fall. Moreover, unless you are sure about the host plant’s species, you can’t be sure about the toxicity. However, its spines make it a tricky choice for households areas where pets and small children could access it. Moon cactus is generally considered non-toxic. You can then just bring them inside your home when it’s winter. During summer, you can grow them outdoors in a pot. If you anticipate cold temperatures overnight, protect the moon cactus with a blanket. Don’t plant in the ground north of Zone 11. Keep it out of temperatures under 40 Fahrenheit. Moon cactus is drought tolerant but not frost tolerant. You may have to move your moon cactus around a bit to find a place where it will thrive. You could put in a spot near (but not in) a south-facing window or outdoors in an area with spotty sunlight. In this case, you should keep your moon cactus in bright indirect light. However, the colorful Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, the main attraction, cannot tolerate direct sunlight. dragonfruit), usually likes a lot of sun. The host cactus, often a Hylocereus (a.k.a. Since a moon cactus is, again, two cacti grafted together, you’ll be hard-pressed to satisfy its sun requirements. Still, if you want to add some vivid color to your cacti arrangement, or you like the idea of having your pet mutant, it’s worth taking a chance on a moon cactus. Some are resilient, while others thrive in identical conditions, maybe surprisingly fussy, and they have a limited lifespan once they wear out their host. The care required for moon cacti is similar to most cacti, but they can be a little trickier to grow because of being a graft. Moon cactus cultivars are mutants that cannot survive independently, so they are grafted onto the top of a sturdy host cactus.
While you might assume that the green base under the colorful ball is also part of the moon cactus, that is incorrect. They come in various highly pigmented shades, typically bright red, orange, neon yellow, and pink, but occasionally purple or even near-black. Otherwise known as Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, Hibotan cactus, ruby ball cactus, star flowered cactus, or red cap, moon cacti are misshapen, thorny, blob-shaped cacti. If you want to add a little glamour to your cactus garden and have the patience for a cactus that can be a bit of a diva, try a moon cactus. Plus, there are many varieties to choose from. Even though succulents and cacti are less colorful and dramatic than other plants, they are popular houseplants because they are resilient and easy enough for beginning gardeners to grow successfully.
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