Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii is commonly known as 'hibotan' or moon cactus. This variant occurs when the plant lacks chlorophyll & the body color manifests as beautiful pink, orange, yellow, or red rather than the typical green. It was discovered that these beautiful seedlings could not survive as they did not have chlorophyll & were therefore incapable of producing the necessary chemical changes that are involved in photosynthesis & which are necessary for the production of the food that is necessary for the plant to grow & thrive. It was determined that if these tiny seedlings were grafted (an actual physical Union of the vascular systems of the two plants) onto fast growing plants such as hylocereus, that the base plant could provide the necessary chlorophyll for the upper plant (in this case the gymnocalycium seedling lacking in chlorophyll) to thrive. Pink is not the only achlorophyllous color that occurs; in fact, many beautiful seedlings are born in many genera that are yellow, pink, orange, or many combinations of these colors. Moon cactus is an excellent subject for windowsill culture.

APPEARANCE

Part of what makes succulents so fascinating are the myriad ways they express themselves throughout the year, depending on light, season, temperature, soil, and hydration. For those and other reasons, the plants you receive may not look exactly as they appear on our website.

AT-HOME GUIDANCE

Caring for your new plant is easy with Greg's help. You'll receive a companion app that provides ongoing 3-Pack 9CM GRAFTED CACTUS, live easy to care for "moon" cactus care, plant health tips, and help from a community of other Altman customers that will ensure your new plant thrives in its new home.