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by Ahmed Shehata
(Cairo,Egypt)

Round Cactus

hello jacki

ok this is a small cactus that has sort of gray color or dark green or both , not sure but i do know its Small

Drought Smart Plants reply: Hi Ahmed, I’m a little shaky on cactus identification, but I think this is one called Parodia. You might find information about these under Notocactus, which is the name they used to be called.

They also have common names such as Ball Cactus, Silver Ball, Yellow Tower and Tom Thumb Cactus.

Here’s what one of my books says about them:

“There are over 100 species, several of which make excellent houseplants. Most Parodias are round and ribbed,grow to less than 10 inches/25 cm tall, and often feature showy spines arranged in a symmetrical matrix pattern.

After several years some ball cacti produce small offsets near the base. Flowers appear near the crown, and may be yellow, orange, pink or red, depending on the species.

In their native habitat, Parodias receive warm rain often in the summer and experience dry temperate winters. If you mimic this pattern, your Parodias should do well. Ball cactus thrive if they can spend the summer outdoors in a half shaded spot.”

The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual by Barbara Pleasant

See more about Cacti here: Cactus Plants

Happy Cactus Gardening!
Jacki