Mother-in-law's chair

Seeds: 40  / Botanical name: Echinocactus grusonii

If the visitor wants to stay too long again

The spherical cactus can reach a diameter of 80 centimeters in its native habitat, which would be about the size of a chair if it weren't for the hard spines that make it so suitable for (un)loved mothers-in-law. Its ribs allow the cactus to absorb a high amount of water, as they expand when it takes in moisture and gradually contract again as it dries out. Since this high water storage capacity is quite desirable in the desert, it protects itself with its dense, yellowish, slightly curved spines, which are about 5 cm long. The center of the sphere, the growth zone, is covered with a felt-like covering of hairs that protects against sunburn. Small yellow flowers also develop there in older plants, once the cactus has reached a diameter of more than 30 centimeters.

Natural Habitat: The mother-in-law's cushion cactus is native to central Mexico. The species is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Wild plants are therefore subject to a strict international trade ban.