So many red blooming Lobivias this year! Love it :D
This one is not new. I have it for a about 4 years (two of those actually) and it is the third season it blooms for me. Very reliable one!
Lobivia arachnacantha v. vallegrandensis
It is a small cactus native to Argentina and Bolivia. It's often growing hidden among some grasses and rocks often almost flat with the soil. It doesn't grow up, but it easily grows multiple offshoots and with time it will turn to a nice clump.
As many cacti, it needs cold winter in order to bloom in spring. The temperature in their natural environment often drop close to 0 degrees. It will handle freezing temp too for shirt time, but only if they are kept completely dry. The moist and cold is a recipe for rot.
Since it got a new post it started to grow a lot nicer and the small green balls really plumped. Every years there is a few more of them.
It also bloomed with more flowers.
Another bud waiting to open:
Here is am image in their natural environment. It is not mine of course. It was taken by one of my cactus, especially Lobivia type gurus - Tomasz Blaczkowski. I ordered some seeds from him, but didn't sow them yet. The damn virus got on a way of me picking it up. Hope they they will still sprout when I finally manage to sow them.
Bonus group shot:
Image by Tomasz Blaczkowski
Small yellow Rebutia Fabrisii var. Aureiflora and shown recently Aylostera heliosa
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.