Perennials, Tropicals > Astrophytum > Astrophytum ornatum > Astrophytum ornatum
Astrophytum ornatum
Star Cactus
Origin: Central-eastern Mexico.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Astrophytum ornatum or Star Cactus is commonly cultivated as an ornamental. It grows in the wild in a diverse community of other plants. It's name comes from the Greek word aster which means star and phyton, meaning plant.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Cactaceae |
| Genus |
| Astrophytum |
| Species |
| ornatum |
| Category |
| Perennials, Tropicals |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H2 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 1 - 5 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 33.8 - 41 |
| Height |
| 2 - 3 m |
| Spread |
| 20 - 30 cm |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Awards
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| Beds and borders, mass container plantings, informal rock gardens, as a potted indoor or patio plant or as a specimen. |
| Cultivation |
| Easy to grow in well draining, sandy, gravelly or loamy soil in full sun to partial shade. |
| Shape |
| Upright, almost columnar and cylindrical in form. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| Pests |
| Resistant to root rot. |
| Habitat |
| Open and dry central plains, often solitary. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Solitary growth extruded into a star-shaped cylinder. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are 7 - 10 cm long, often forming clusters of several blooms. |
| Colour Description |
| Pale yellow blooms, sage green to pale green succulent flesh. |
| Texture Description |
| Smooth, spiny. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The Devonian Botanic Garden, Devon, Alberta, Canada. Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Propagation |
| Division of clumps. |
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