Say it: ek-ih-NOP-sis kam-ee-SEER-ee-us. Common names: peanut cactus. Also sold as Chamaecereus silvestrii.
Where it grows
The mountains of northwestern Argentina, in Tucumán, where it sprawls over rocks at altitude.
Size and growth
Clusters of finger-thick, peanut-shaped stems covered in soft white spines, spreading into a mat a foot or more across. Fast and generous with offsets, which snap off and root easily. Named cultivars and hybrids offer different flower colors and stem forms.
Flowers
Big for the plant: 2-inch orange-red funnels in spring, often so many they hide the stems. Hybrids come in yellow, white, pink and orange. Flowers best after a cool, dry winter.
Care
- Light: bright light to full sun; stems stretch in shade.
- Water: regular in summer, dry in winter.
- Soil: gritty, fast-draining.
- Cold: one of the hardier cacti — around 20°F if dry, and the cold rest is what triggers the flowers.
From seed
Easy, germinating in 7–14 days. Our seed mix comes from a range of flower colors, so each tray is a surprise. Cuttings are the way to get an exact color.
Peanut cactus seed mix · Cutting pack · Yellow Bloom · Westfield Alba