Parodia leninghausii

Parodia leninghausii formerly known as Notocactus leninghausii, is a cactus highly appreciated for its long, flexible, bristly and harmless yellow pricks that capture light and form a golden halo! Older specimens bear a very bright summer flowering with silky, lemon yellow flowers measuring 5 to 6cm (2in) in diameter, which populate the tops of the stems. Initially solitary and globose, it then rises to form a narrow column 80cm (32in) tall with faint ribs, and then produces numerous shoots at its base that will grow into an erect colony of stems. Native to one of the mildest regions of Brazil, it is a plant that thrives in a bright or semi-shaded exposure, in well-drained, sandy, slightly fertile, non-calcareous soil and especially very dry in winter. To be grown in pots outside the Mediterranean region.

Parodia leninghausii is a succulent perennial that belongs to the huge family of cacti. Parodia leninghausii is a cactus native to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It is often found in hilly meadows, walls or rocky crevices or in the shade of pine forests, which is why it prefers a slightly more fertile soil. It is a plant that withstands drought, heat and can withstand temperatures down to - 4 °C especially if the soil is perfectly drained and dry. Grow it in pots outside Mediterranean climates, in full sun or partial shade in a well-draining substrate made up of equal parts garden soil, sand, and compost.

Parodia leninghausii is a cactus grown for its long, flexible, bristly and soft-to-touch yellow spines. It is a succulent perennial with a globular habit that becomes columnar and then bushy with age. Slow-growing, it can reach 1m (3ft) in height and 12cm (5in) in diameter in its native environment. Cultivated in our climates, it forms an erect clump 80cm (32in) tall and up to 10cm (4in) in diameter. It forms a cylindrical body with a top adorned with a woolly cluster of white hairs, which tends to lean towards the sun. Each erect stem bears 30 to 35 faintly ribbed, white to yellow dense areoles. These areoles bear 15 to 20 radial pricks, measuring 5 to 10mm (0in) long, thin, soft, honey yellow to golden, gradually turning grey, as well as 3 to 4 longer pricks (2 to 5cm (1 to 2in) long), straight and dark. After reaching a certain maturity (minimum height of 20cm (8in)), this plant blooms from June to August with silky, shiny, bright lemon yellow flowers crowning the tops of the stems.

In Mediterranean regions, Parodia leninghausii will find its place in a dry and sunny rockery or on a wild slope. Elsewhere, it can be planted in a pot that should be stored away when the first cold weather arrives and should not be watered until the vegetation resumes in spring. It can be paired with other cacti such as Echinocactus, Ferocactus, Astrophytum, and Mammillarias to create miniature desert gardens, or it can be placed alone in a pot to decorate a windowsill or a veranda corner.