Cleistocactus straussii silver torch
(This plant comes in a 3.5" pot. You will receive a very similar plant to the one in the picture. It may or may not be blooming at the time of your purchase. The plant is shipped in its pot to prevent any damage to the roots).
This cactus likes strong sunlight, but not high temperatures - in fact it can withstand hard frosts down to -10°C. In its natural habitat it receives plenty of water during the summer, but almost none over the winter period.
Description: Cleistocactus strausii has a green stem that looks silvery grey because of the short, whitish spines that completely cover it.
In a 20 cm (8") pot the plant can reach a height of 1.5 m (5') and will probably consist of several stems.
It does not flower until they are 10 to 15 years old. When Cleistocactus strausii has become 1 m (3') or taller, it will produce narrow, tubular flowers from areoles at the top of the main stem. The flowers are 8-10 cm (3-4") long and carmine-red and they appear in summer. They never fully opened, each last only for four or five days.
Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz
