ICARO DNA (Trichocereus peruvianus)

ICARO DNA (Trichocereus peruvianus)
Hi Folks, time for another posting here on the website! It´s time to take a closer look at the ICARO DNA Trichocereus peruvianus strains, which were around for at least 10 years.
Their strain is an extremely blue and spiny Peruvianus strain that comes from M...
ICARO DNA (Trichocereus peruvianus)

SS01 (Trichocereus peruvianus)

SS01 (Trichocereus peruvianus)

The SS01 clone was brought into cultivation by Sacred Succulents. It is one of their oldest clones, going back many years and the number of hybrids that involves it is really high. It actually is a very blue Trichocereus that would usually be called Tr. peruvianus or Tr. macrogonus outside the SS nursery. The origin of this plant is unknown, but because of Sacred Succulent´s constant work with this clone, it is widely distributed.

Here is an excerpt from the Sacred Succulents description of SS01:

SS01 (Trichocereus peruvianus or Trichocereus macrogonus)

Columnar cactus up to 8´+ tall. Fat blue-green stems up to 6″ in diameter and 2″+ spines. Huge white nocturnal flowers. Can grow very fast; up to several feet a year. Tends to grow prostrate with age. We believe this to be a clone of either Trichocereus macrogonus or Trichocereus peruvianus. Cold hardy to 25° Fahrenheit. 

My personal impression of this plant is that it is one of the plants that were originally sold by Karel Knize. Those were really common at the time this clone showed up and I would not be surprised if it was one of them.

Sacred Succulents used this clone to create many hybrids, such as SS01 x Tr. pachanoi, SS01 x BBG, SS01 x Tom Juul´s Giant, SS01 x SS02 and many more. If you want to buy some seeds or cuttings of Trichocereus SS01, check out the Sacred Succulents website.

Those photos show the SS01 clone and are not hybrids. I will have a huge number of SS01 hybrid pics in my upcoming book SAN PEDRO HYBRIDS, which will be out in 2017.

Trichocereus peruvianus SS01 / Photos: Noah Reams

 

SS01 (Trichocereus peruvianus)

Trichocereus glaucus - Echinopsis glauca

Trichocereus glaucus – Echinopsis glauca

Trichocereus glaucus, also known as Echinopsis glauca, is a columnar cactus from Peru. 

Trichocereus glaucus is a very interesting plant that is probably synonymous with some creeping varieties of Trichocereus peruvianus.

Origin: Peru ( Southern Peru ), Arequipa (Rio Tambo), Chile

Description: Trichocereus glaucus can get between 1,5-2 meters tall and is a creeping species that you oftenly find hanging down slopes and cliffs. This trait is very distinct in the variety Trichocereus glaucus var. pendens. The color of the skin is very glaucous and small specimens look absolutely like what was originally called Trichocereus macrogonus. However, macrogonus grows upwards while this species tends to bend over with age. New growth is very glaucous and gets even more glaucous later on.

Areoles: The areoles are dark brown to gray and are around 2,5 centimeters apart of each other. Similar to other San Pedro types, the plant has a diameter of up to 10 centimeters and the areoles are gray felted. The spines look a bit like the ones on Trichocereus cuzcoensis and are gray or brown. Trichocereus glaucus has 6-9 ribs, 3-6 middle spines and 8-11 radial spines. The middle spines are 5-10 centimeters and the radial spines 1-2 centimeters long.  New spine growth is black to brown and turn gray with age.

Flowers: White, just like almost every other San Pedro cactus. The diameter is very variable and usually is between 15-22 centimeters. Trichocereus glaucus is a night-flowering species with green, round fruits. But the hairy flowers usually stay open until the next morning.

Fruit: Round, green, and 3 centimeters thick.

Location of the type: Lower part of the Rio Tambo in the department Arequipa.

Trichocereus glaucus is very similar to Trichocereus chalaensis and grows in a similar way. The plant was discovered by botanist Friedrich Ritter and his collection number is FR270. I gave away some seed of this plant a couple years in a row and I am looking forward to post more pics of them in the near future.

Seed & live cutting sources: I gave away seeds of Trichocereus glaucus a couple of years in a row and apart from that, I only know a couple more seed sources. Sacred Succulents has them every now and then & Köhres used to have some in stock too though I am not sure what type they will be. Trichocereus glaucus aka Echinopsis glauca is extremely rare and most plants on the market will probably come labeled as „Trichocereus peruvianus“ or „Trichocereus macrogonus“.

Cultivation: Trichocereus glaucus is a very resilient grower and likes to be watered well in summer. In winter, they should be kept as dry as possible at around 10° Celsius. Seed germinates very well and the plant is usually very tough. That´s also caused by its drought tolerance, which is very typical for Chilean plants. The plant will probably tolerate between -5° to -7° Celsius over very short time, but I would not stress it and this also depends on many other factors, like general health and dryness. I would recommend keeping at no lower than 10° Celsius in winter.

Varieties: Trichocereus glaucus var. pendens. This variety does only grow creeping down cliffs and small hills. This type only grows at one location in Chile and is extremely rare. This local population is in the south of Arica, Camarca in Chile. Backeberg suggested that this would be his Trichocereus Uyumpaensis, which is a creeping type of San Pedro too, but Friedrich Ritter vehemently disagreed with that.

Below: Trichocereus Glaucus – Fotos: Auxin

It forms shrubs with a size of 1 – 2 meters and often several meters in diameter, sprouting mainly from shoots that lay sideways on the ground. This plant rarely pups from the top or upper parts. The shoots are 5 – 8 inches thick, erect, later lying in the lower parts, the new shoot blue-green, later gray-green.

Ribs: 7-9, very broad, obtuse, 7.5 to 13 mm high, 15-25 mm wide, notched, with transverse furrows that do not reach down to the separating grooves of the ribs,

Areoles: grey felted, 1/2-3/4 inches in diameter, 1to 2 inches free removal, let down by the humps in the notches

Spines: In the new shoot black to brown, becoming gray, straight, rigid

Marginal spines: 7-10, directed laterally, the lower and lateral 8 to 15 mm long, coarse needle-shaped, somewhat flattened, the upper the upper stronger and not sharply separated from the Central spines.

Central spines: 3-6, very spread apart, subulate in the middle, but usually closer to the top edge and almost in the position of an edge of spine, below 1.5 mm thick

Flower: Not far from the apex, 13 to 19 centimeters long, fragrant, opening in the evening, the morning still open,

Ovary: Green with fleshy green, narrowly triangular, 2-5 mm long, pointed scales and large scales raised bases. The flowers are covered with brown/black hairs.

Partition against the nectar chamber 3-4 mm thick, tube-shaped, 13 to 23 mm long, to the stylus 1to 2 mm wide, brownish, almost openly, with nectar

Tubes: In addition funnel shaped, 40-65 mm long, the top 2 to 3 cm wide, pale green interior, exterior gray-green, with triangular points, 7.5 to 10 mm long, dark green scales and tufts of hair as on the ovary.

Stamens: white, greenish below, insertions missing on the top 2 to 3 centimeters of the tube to a ring on the hem, pouch pale brown, approximately at half height petals standing

Stylus: pale green, white or pale brownish above, 10 to 11 cm in length, with 14 to 18 mm fall on the 13-16 spread pale yellow stigma lobes, between the pouches or outstanding.



Deutsche Original Beschreibung:

Büsche von 1 meter bis 2 meter höhe und oft mehreren metern Durchmesser, sprossend hauptsächlich unten von liegenden Trieben, weniger oben sprossend. Triebe 5 bis 8 Zentimeter dick, aufrecht, später in den unteren Teilen liegend, im Neutrieb blaugrün, später mehr graugrün.
Rippen: 7-9, sehr breit, stumpf, 7,5 bis 13 mm hoch, 15 bis 25 mm breit, gekerbt, mit Querfurchen, die nicht bis zu den Trennfurchen der Rippen hinabreichen,
Areolen: Graufilzig, 1/2-3/4 Zentimeter Durchmesser, 1bis 2 Zentimeter freie Entfernung, , von den Höckern in die Kerben hinabreichend
Stacheln: Im Neutrieb schwarz bis braun, , vergrauend, gerade, starr
Randstacheln: 7 bis 10, seitlich gerichtet, die unteren und seitlichen 8 bis 15 mm lang, derb nadelförmig, etwas abgeflacht, die oberen die Oberen stärker und nicht scharf von den Mittelstacheln gesondert.
Mittelstacheln: 3 bis 6, sehr gespreizt, pfriemlich in der Mitte, aber meist näher dem oberen Rand und fast in der Stellung eines Randstachels, unten 1,5 mm dick
Blüte: Nicht weit weg vom Scheitel, 13 bis 19 zentimeter lang, duftend, abends öffnend, morgens noch offen,  
Fruchtknoten: Grün mit fleischigen grünen, schmal dreieckigen, 2-5 mm langen spitzen Schuppen und großen erhabenen Schuppenbasen. Mit starken schwarzen oder braunschwarzen Wollhaaren.
Trennwand gegen die Nektarkammer 3-4 mm dick, diese tubisch, 13 bis 23 mm lang,um den Griffel 1bis 2 mm weit, bräunlich, fast offen, mit Nektar

Röhren: Darüber trichterig, 40 bis 65 mm lang, oben 2 bis 3 cm weit, innen blaß grünlich , außen graugrün, mit dreieckigen Spitzen, 7,5 bis 10 mm langen dunkelgrünen Schuppen und Haarbüscheln wie auf dem Fruchtknoten.
Staubfäden: weiß, unten grünlich, Insertionen fehlen auf den obersten 2 bis 3 Zentimetern der Röhre, bis auf einen Ring auf dem Saum, Beutel blassbraun, etwa bei halber Petalen Höhe stehend
Griffel: blassgrün, oben weiß oder blass bräunlich, 10 bis 11 cm lang, wovon 14 bis 18 mm auf die 13-16 gespreizten blaßgelben Narbenäste  fallen, zwischen den Beuteln oder sie überragend.



Very interesting Plant and very similar to what some would label Trichocereus Macrogonus.

Trichocereus glaucus - Echinopsis glauca

Gnosis / Gnostic Garden Clone (Trichocereus cuzcoensis)

Gnosis / Gnostic Garden Clone (Trichocereus cuzcoensis)

This type was originally sold by the European seed shop GNOSTIC GARDEN, who are no longer in business. It should actually read GNOSTIC GARDEN CLONE, but the typo somehow stuck and it was called GNOSIS instead. Maybe we should go back to the original spelling of the name. But due to the fact that this clone was sold as GNOSIS for many years now, it´s probably best to keep everything as it is now.

GNOSTIC GARDEN delivered this clone to a large number of smaller shops, who imported it into Australia in the late 90s or 2000s. The Gnosis Garden Clone became of the most common „Peruvianus“ clones in Australia. And that´s remarkable because it actually is a Trichocereus cuzcoensis ;). The Cuzcoensis/Peruvianus labeling makes me think that this one probably originated from Knize, who is (BY FAR) the biggest source for different types from the Tr. cuzcoensis group  and it´s very likely that Gnostic Garden got their stock from Knize; either directly or indirectly through the hands of another retailer or wholesaler. The wide distribution makes this clone one of the most common strains in Australia. It has massive long spines with rounded spine bases and a typical Cuzcoensis appearance. Due to the fact that Knize has offered all kinds of types from the Cuzcoensis group over the past 50 years, it´s probably not possible to pin this clone down to a certain KK number.

The GNOSIS GARDEN CLONE (GNOSTIC GARDEN) was also sold by the SAB nursery and can be bought from them.

Pic: MUTANT

 

Gnosis / Gnostic Garden Clone (Trichocereus cuzcoensis)

Chemical Shaman´s D*ck (Trichocereus bridgesii)

Chemical Shaman´s D*ck (Trichocereus bridgesii) (UPDATE DEC 2015)

NO, that is not supposed to read „DUCK“. 😉

Chemical Shamans D*ck aka CSD is a new Clone that was introduced by SAB Member Ferret, who brought it into circulation in honor of the Member Chemical Shaman, who unfortunately passed away.

According to Ferret, the Clone was grown from a batch of Trichocereus bridgesii Seed, which were provided by the NOOK Member BEEKER.

The Clones Characteristics are a very stunted, almost monstrous Look with a very unique Spination, which is very unlike other Trichocereus bridgesii. Besides, if seen from above, the Plant has a Look that reminds of a Lophophora williamsii, which is WAY COOl!

At this point, we couldn´t observe a flower yet, but will certainly add Flower Pics as soon as we get some.

The copyright on all those pics belongs to SAM, who donated those pics for the database!

UPDATE December 2015:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chemical Shaman´s D*ck (Trichocereus bridgesii)

Bruce - Trichocereus bridgesii

Bruce – Trichocereus bridgesii

BRUCE is a beautiful Trichocereus bridgesii with very broad ribs and a funny spination. Just like many other, BRUCE is a hybrid of Australian origin. Because of the broad ribs, this plant tends to have relatively few ribs. Most plants I´ve seen had between 4 and 6 ribs. The mother plant goes back to the SAB member BLACKDRAGON, who had a giant monster of this amazing plant growing in his garden. He also managed to get it to flower and the flower was relatively typical for a Tr. bridgesii.

BRUCE is said to be somewhat related to the Tr. bridgesii clone EILEEN, that was growing in front of reshroomED´s house. Personally, I would not be surprised if both were grown from similar or the same seed lots. But that´s just speculation and I have yet to hear more detailed information on the background of BRUCE. The plant is also known to show a „melting“ look from time to time, which indicates that this is (at least partially) mutated somehow. BRUCE comes from South Australia and is also very similar to the clone MBN95/ SUPER BRIDGE, which more or less lost as I do not know of anyone who has that  plant with an intact label.

BRUCE: COPYRIGHT: GOT

Where to buy cuttings or seeds of BRUCE (Trichocereus bridgesii)?

BRUCE is one of the rarer hybrids from Australia and I know of no breeder that is currently breeding with it. You might try to make a posting at the SAB forum, cactusforum.org or in our Trichocereus Facebook Group!

Bruce - Trichocereus bridgesii

Psycho0 - Trichocereus Bridgesii

Psycho0 – Trichocereus Bridgesii

The clone PSYCHO0 (spoken: psychonaut) is a clone that was dedicated to the same-named SAB member, who unfortunately died at a very young age. It has always been a very popular clone that was given to many members on SAB. It´s a clone that became very common amongst the Cactus community and I am very happy that it is responsible for people remembering him ever since. Almost every year, people make a posting on his birthday to remember him.

The PSYCHO0 is a Trichocereus Bridgesii with long, strong spines that are yellow in color. The plants usually have three very strong spines, that look pretty unique, though it can sometimes look like a more typical Trichocereus Bridgesii.

Where to buy seeds or plants: The Psycho0 and it´s hybrids are mostly available through Australian collectors, though some of them rarely show up on platforms like Ebay. Whenever they do, prices can go very high and it´s definitely one of the most sought after clones around. Several breeders offer crosses with the Psycho0 every year through the SAB homepage or the Trichocereus Facebook group. If you are after this plant, you can make a posting in the group and depending on your location and the import conditions, someone usually has some available.

Copyright: lhb2444

Hybrids

This nice Trichocereus terscheckii x Tr. bridgesii PYCHO0 is a great example for an amazing San Pedro hybrid.

Psycho0 - Trichocereus Bridgesii

Trichocereus Litoralis - Echinopsis Chilensis var. Litoralis

Trichocereus Litoralis – Echinopsis Chilensis var. Litoralis

This beautiful Trichocereus is definitely closely related to Trichocereus Chilensis and the current taxonomy placed it as a variety to it. Trichocereus Litoralis always was a problematic species because there are so many intermediate forms between Trichocereus Chilensis and Trichocereus Litoralis that it is extremely difficult to draw the line somewhere. While some taxonomists included it in Trichocereus Chilensis (Chiloensis my butt), some others were strongly against it. Personally, I think that the whole group of plants surrounding Trichocereus Chilensis is very variable and we should simply respect that plants can be related to each other and at the same time, look a little bit different. The species is also very closely related to Trichocereus Skottsbergii, which I also regard as a variety of Trichocereus Chilensis.

Origin: Chile. Growing mostly around the coast. Coquimbo

Synonyms: Echinopsis Litoralis, Cereus Litoralis, Trichocereus Chilensis var. litoralis

The location of the typus is in Zapallar, north of Valparaiso near the coast of chile. The species is widely distributed all across the coast up to Los Vilos. The many radial spines are needle-like, while the middle spines are pretty strong and thick and up to 3 cm long. It has 9-28 radial spines and 3-6 middle spines.

Trichocereus Chilensis usually doesnt get bigger than 1-2 meters. It has a very dark green color and and a maximum diameter of 10-15 centimeters.

Ribs: 15-22, areoles approximately 1-2 centimeters apart of each other.

Flowers: Trichocereus Litoralis has a white flower, which is extremely similar to the one on Trichocereus Chilensis. The flowers are up to 15 centimeters long, which is on the lower end of the scale for Trichocerei.

Fruit: Round, dark green. Up to 5 Centimeters in diameter

Where to buy seeds and cuttings of Trichocereus Litoralis: That´s actually a good question. There are a couple of specialized seed stores who have them in stock. I bought some seeds from Uhlig Kakteen once (and never sown them out) and it´s also available from Succeed sometimes. Every now and then, a plant shows up on eBay but it actually rater rare. If you are looking for a cutting, it might be worth the try to make a request in our Trichocereus Facebook Group, though it´s actually one of the species that I´ve seen very rarely. Still, it might be worth the try because we´re marching towards the 1000 members mark and one of them might be able to help you!

Have a look at this beautiful picture of Trichocereus Litoralis growing along the coast line in Chile.

The flower of Trichocereus Litoralis is extremely beautiful and can be used in hybrid breeding. Unfortunately, those plants take very long until they reach adulthood.

Trichocereus Litoralis - Echinopsis Chilensis var. Litoralis

Trichocereus Bridgesii (Echinopsis Lageniformis)

Trichocereus Bridgesii (Echinopsis Lageniformis)

Trichocereus Bridgesii (SD.) Britton & Rose – The Cactaceae

C.F. Förster – H.Friedrich & GD Rowley 1974

CITES: Appendix II.

Origin: The Plant grows throughout Bolivia (LA PAZ, Chochabamba, Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija and there might be areas in Peru where it grows as well. Intermediates are not really know but it´s very possible that there are some. 1000-3000 meters.

Synonyms: Cereus lageniformis, cereus bridgesii, trichocereus crassicostatus, Cereus bridgesii var. longispinus, Cereus bridgesii brevispinus, Cereus lasiacanthus, Trichocereus Boliviensis, Trichocereus Riomizquensis (some of them),  uva.

Some of the Varieties on the market: KK919 Trichocereus Bridgesii, KK920 Trichocereus Bridgesii, Trichocereus Bridgesii Cristata, TBM type A, TBM type B, Lumberjack, Eileen, Jeans, Psycho0, TBM,  Penis Plant, Penis Cactus, Frauenglück or Frauenglueck, Trichocereus Bridgesii var. Inermis, Eileen,and many more

Trichocereus bridgesii is now called Echinopsis lageniformis. It´s also called the Bolivian torch cactus and is a very fast growing columnar cactus from the high deserts of Bolivia. Despite its similar name, Trichocereus Bridgesii should not be confused with Echinopsis bridgesii, which is a clustering, Echinopsis type cactus growing around Bolivia. It its extremely drought tolerant and withstands colder temperatures than some other Trichocereus species. If you are new to cacti but want to grow one of the San Pedro type cacti, Trichocereus bridgesii is a perfect plant for you.

Among the indigenous inhabitants of Bolivia, it’s sometimes called Achuma or bolivian San Pedro cactus.

Healthy plants have a light green epidermis and between four to eight ribs. Spines can range in coloration from honey-coloured to brown, and are located at the nodes in groups of up to four. Chemical analysis of some forms of this species has revealed it may contain some mescaline.

It grows similar to a tree and reaches a size of up to 5 meters. The Species is not as glaucous as Trichocereus Peruvianus and Trichocereus Pachanoi and has a light green epidermis.

Trichocereus Bridgesii reaches up to 15 centimeters in diameter and large specimens are often confused with Trichocereus Peruvianus. The fact that very thick specimens can look a lot like Trichocereus Peruvianus is a reason that there are many misidentified specimens on the market. Some sellers even label them “SAN PEDRO”, “PERUVIAN TORCH” or “Trichocereus Peruvianus”, because they usually are more expensive as Trichocereus Bridgesii.

It has 4-8 Ribs and the Areoles are about 2 centimeters distanced of each other. Four-ribbed plants are sometimes called “Trichocereus of the four Winds”, though it´s actually a lot more common for this species to grow or lose a rib than you would think. A Trichocereus that grows a rib looks very much like it would put out monstrose growth. But yeah, they are justing getting more and more ribs the larger they get. Trichocereus Bridgesii has very broad furrows. The plant can reach up to 3-5 meters.

Spines: 4-6 needle-like, yellow Spines. Some of them are very uneven and vary greatly in length and appearance. Some large plants even lose their spines completely. This is something that we encountered a couple of times on larger plants and spineless Bridgesii´s look very much large hybrids between Trichocereus Peruvianus and Trichocereus Bridgesii.

Flower: Flowers are white and up to 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters in diameter. Trichocereus Bridgesii is a night flowering species and its fruits are usually up to 5 centimeters long. It had white petals and small scales and hairs on the rest of the flower.

Typus location: Bolivia, La Paz

Trichocereus Bridgesii as Grafting Stock: Trichocereus bridgesii is an excellent grafting stock. However, there are some species that are even better for grafting. Nonetheless, it´s a strong and vigorously growing stock that will produce large scions very fast.

Forms:

The fact that most specimens look very similar, makes it pretty impossible to differentiate between the varieties. There are some known clones available but generally speaking, Trichocereus Bridgesii is the Trichocereus with the least variability, compared to other San Pedros. However, they have been used extensively in hybrid culture in the past ten years and there are many interesting hybrids out there that look like a mix between all kinds of Trichocereus species.

The monstrose form of Echinopsis lageniformis aka Trichocereus Bridgesii is called the Penis Plant or TBM. Contrary to the typical columnar habit of the species, this cultivar displays short stem segments that branch forming a small bush. The upper part of each stem section is smooth and spineless, resembling a certain male body part. The lower part shows a tendency to form ribs and is spiny. The plant is light green in color.

Cultivation: Trichocereus Bridgesii is one of the strongest growers in the genus Trichocereus or Echinopsis. It´s VERY drought resistant and much more unproblematic than other Trichos. Especially if you grow them from seed, because no matter what else you grow, they will be the ones to survive the longest if you suddenly “forget” to water them for a month or so. The come from Bolivia and live off very little water but also manage to compensate strong rainfalls and are rarely affected by fungal infections or mold. It´s a very thankful plant to grow, especially when you have the luck to plant them outside.

So cultivation is pretty easy. Don´t water them when it´s cold. It´s the same treatment that you would give any other Trichocereus. Only water them during the hot growth season in summer. If they are in full growth and the temperatures are high, they like to be watered weekly or sometimes even more often, but it depends on the growth medium. They don´t like soils that contains too much humus and i´d recommend to grow them in a purely mineral soil mix, with pumice, coarse sand and maybe a very little bit of standard cactus soil to make sure that they are able to take in the nutrients. Generally speaking, Trichocereus Bridgesii is the Archetype of a cactus that thrives on poor soils. I would not recommend to put them in full sun for the whole day but they can take much more sun that other Trichos that come from more tropical climates.

Winter treatment & frost tolerance: Trichocereus Bridgesii is able to tolerate mild frost. The minimum temperature should NOT exceed -8° Celsius though. That means 17.6° Fahrenheit is the limit. Trichocereus bridgesii usually has no problems to compensate light night frosts but the average minimum temperature should not be lower than 10° Celsius! That is around 50° fahrenheit. One important factor in frost resistance is the humidity of a soil! Plants should be totally dry in winter to make it easier for them to deal with frost. That´s why growers in Europe and other countries with strong frost have to take em inside in winter. They require a bright and well ventilated space with a temperature around 10° celsius. Not only ensure it that the plants soil system does not rot, it also promotes flowering!

Cultivation from seed:

Trichocereus Bridgesii is very easy to grow from seed. The seeds remain their viability for 5-10 years and some even longer. The best germination rate can be expected within the first year though. The seeds require light to germinate and you only sprinkle them on top of the soil. As a germination medium, I would recommend a mix between sowing soil and coarse sharp sand. This reduces your chance of contamination and/or Algae/Moss production. Moss and Algae are a real problem for cactus growers because they overgrow your seedlings and usually kill them. If you see green crap on your soil, thats what I am talking about. The seeds only need very little water to germinate, so dont overwater them in the beginning. You can always add more water but you can never take back a bad overwatering because it usually washes the seeds away or will lead to rotten seeds and soil. Germination temperature for Trichocereus Bridgesii or Echinopsis Lageniformis is around 25°-30° celsius. But be careful because small seedlings die very easily because of too much heat. Especially if you germinate in closed containers, temps can get quite high in there. The time needed for them to germinate is between 2-6 weeks. If nothing has germinated after that, it´s probably because a.) there wasnt enough water to kickstart the germination. In this case just add more water and wait some more. b.) the temperatures were not high enough. In this case, just increase the temps and continue to germinate. Or C.) The seed is dead. There are a couple black sheep in seed business who sell seed that´s between 10-20 years old and the viability is horrible. So if you did everything right and nothing germinated, it´s the seed. Seed quality on the market varies greatly and you never know what batch you will end up with. So if you had a batch batch, I´d recommend you to contact the seller and ask him about it. Stay friendly and polite and they will replace it because they are aware of the great differences in seed quality.

Trichocereus Bridgesii: Where to buy seed?

There are not many commercial sources for seed of Trichocereus bridgesii. I can recommend Köhres because their seed is usually fresh. Besides than that, I know of a Peruvian Seed Wholesaler who is selling Bridgesii seed but his seed is usually very inconsistent. Apart from commercial sources, there are people in our Trichocereus group on facebook who give away fresh seed every now and then. In most cases, this seed is the freshest because it comes directly from the growers. The domain name is facebook.com/groups/trichocereus 

Besides, SAB is selling live cuttings and seeds every now and then. shaman-australis.com

And Sacred Succulents have a whole lot of crosses and live cuttings too! sacredsucculents.com

Propagation: Trichocereus Bridgesii can be grown from seed pretty easily. But you can also take cuttings and re-root them. This way, you can multiply your plants dramatically and if you are trying to get a lot of plants, you can also try areole grafting. Trichocereus Bridgesii is pretty tough and you can basically stick it in a dry medium like sand and it will probably grow. Just make sure to let the cuts dry out and give the wound enough fresh air until everything is calloused. I use bird sand for that purpose, which is the mineral soil mix that you get in pet stores for the birds to take their dump in. It contains anise and some other minerals that just prevent mold and infections and it is perfect for rooting plants in it.

USDA Zones: 10a, 10B and 11

Purposes: Can be used as grafting stock or just because its´an amazing cactus. Besides, Trichocereus Bridgesii is used as natural fence to keep away animals and people.

 

 

This is a Herbarium Sample of Trichocereus Bridgesii! Pic: Ben Kamm, Sacredsucculents.com:

 

 

 

Peter A. Mansfeld – Trichocereus Bridgesii Monstrose B, Penis Plant

Bild: Codify from Perth

Fat bridgesii “LUMBERJACK” from Misplant.net

Melty Crest – Pic by Mutant

 

 

Bridgesii Monstrosa Inermis

This One came labeled Trichocereus Bridgesii Inermis, which stands for “Spineless”. Typical Bridgesii Monstrose.

Trichocereus Bridgesii (Echinopsis Lageniformis)