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Sculpted shapes
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Cacti need as much sun and fresh air as possible. They lend a unique touch to gardens
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Cacti are admired for their columnar shape
CACTI OF the genus Cereus form ribbed columns when growing in the wild, but are much smaller when grown in pots.
Originally from South America and the West Indies, they are admired for their sculpted columnar shapes.
The plant got its name from the Latin Cereus, which means a wax taper.
These fast growing desert species can reach a height of 1-1½ metres in five to six years after which it may produce long funnel-shaped flowers in summer, followed by red or yellow fruits with black seeds inside.
Flowers are sweet-scented, open at night and fade early in the morning.
Cereus peruvianuc (apple cactus) bears five to eight ribs and seven spines to each areole.
The spines are nearly brown.
Petals of the 15-cm long flowers are tinged a brownish green. Cereus jamacaru is a bluish green single column that branches out in the wild but is unlikely to do so as a potted plant.
It has six or eight broad prominent notched ribs, separated by deep narrow indentations.
Areoles bear a cluster of 15 yellowish spines.
Flowers produced on mature plants are 20-30 cm long and have white petals tinged a pinkish brown.
Grow cacti in full sunlight
Fresh air and sunlight will help improve their colour and length of their spines.
Use peat-based soil mixed with coarse sand. Water moderately.
Propagation is by seeds or by means of a section of stem.
Use fertilizer once in two weeks.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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