Ferocactus
Ferocactus macrodiscus
Cactus family (Cactaceae)
Dilemma for the Mexican government
Fero means ‘powerful’. This part of the name Ferocactus refers to the strong, sometime hooked, thorns on the ribs of this barrel-shaped cactus. A young Ferocactus is a sphere that expands to a 30 – 60 cm wide, dark green or grey-green disk.
Ferocactus macrodiscus flowers from April to July with (up to) 4 cm long, bell-shaped flowers that can be yellow, orange, red or purple. Bees act as pollinators. After flowering, strawberry-red, round, fleshy fruit are formed, which can be doused in sugar and eaten as sweets, hence the name candy cactus or sweet cactus. In the wild, the fruits are eaten by birds, rodents, sheep, donkeys and peccaries. This species is very popular with cactus collectors.
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Bees act as pollinators.
In the wild the fruits are eaten by birds.
After flowering, strawberry-red, round, fleshy fruit are formed, which can be doused in sugar and eaten as sweets, hence the name candy cactus or sweet cactus.
Details
Description: | Succulent, cactus, up to 0.60 m in diameter |
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Distributions: | Mexico |
Habitat: | Dry grasslands and dry oak forest, at 2000 - 3000 m in altitude. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
Hardiness: | 23 - 34 f (half-hardy - unheated glasshouse/mild winter) |
Flowering period: | April - juli |
Flower color: | Yellow, orange, red, purple |
Notes on flowers: | Yellow, orange, red, purple |
Sources
The New Royal Horticultural Society - Dictionary of gardening,http://worldofsucculents.com/ferocactus-macrodiscus/