Family: Cactaceae
Habitat: Mountainous areas of Peru and Ecuador
Cultivation: It is recommended to use very large vessels to allow the plant to fully develop its root system, which goes deep into the soil. Exposure it to full sunlight and pay attention to temperatures that must remain above 8-10 ° C.
Curiosity: Extremely long-lasting Cactus (blooms arrive only after 30 years of age), it has its name for Peruvian botanist Nicholas Esposto.

ESPOSTOA KEY FEATURES

The Espostoa genus covers a variety of columnar cactus species, with slow growth and with a height that can exceed 2 meters in nature (while usually when it is cultivated it does not exceed 1 meter). The stem is divided by horizontal ribs, very thorny and covered with dense fluff. It is said, in fact, the “woolly cactus”. Although the stem is usually alone, sometimes a number of additional branches grow parallel to the first from the main trunk.

Blooms are nocturnal and occur only after about 30 years of age, when the plant reaches maturity. The flowers have white or pink color and medium – small size and generally appear on the top of the plant or on each branch.

VARIETIES AND TYPES

There are about sixteen species of Espostoa. However, some species have different varieties. The most common is the lanosa This is a complete list of the different species and some of the most common varieties to findt:

Forme crestate, mostruose e variegate:

• Espostoa lanianuligera f. cristata
• E. nana f. cristata
• E. ritteri f. cristat
• Espostoa baumanni
• E. blossfeldiorum
• E. calva
• E. frutescens
• E. guentheri
• E. huanucoensis
• E. hylaea
• E. lanata
• E. lanianuligera
• E. melanostele
• E. mirabilis
• E. nana
• E. ritteri
• E. ruficeps
• E. senilis
• E. superba.

TIPS FOR CULTIVATION

The cultivation os Espostoa can give great satisfaction. It is recommended to use very large vessels to allow the plant to fully develop its radical apparatus, which goes deep into the ground. Here are our cultivation tips:

• The best exposure is the one  in full sun. There is no risk of sunburn, given the dense fluff that covers the plant.
• The temperature must, of course, remain above 8-10 ° C.
• Watering should be well dosed during the summer (one or two times a week will be the ideal frequency depending on the plant’s position) and suspended entirely in winter.
• As a soil we recommend the one specific for cactaceae. The important thing is that it is abundant.
• Although the plant has a very slow growth, it still needs a lot of soil. It is therefore advisable to proceed to the repotting every 2-3 years, following the natural growth of the plant
• Espostoa is reproduced either by seed and by cuttings. As a cuttings, individual stem portions can be used, which, if severed and buried, will give life to a new plant. It is advisable to choose, as  cuttings, side branches in order not to ruin the overall appearance of the plant.