Oroya?

toddo · Post by **toddo** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:43 am

Picked this one up unlabeled a while ago. Never knew what it was but it has flowered and I figure it is an Oroya? If so, which one? Dont have any experience with this species so any tips would be appreciated. Treat it like any other South American cacti?

Thanks,

Todd

birdguy34 · Post by **birdguy34** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:52 am

Yup Oroya, probably peruviana. Boy is that a beauty.
Although I've grown them, someone else will be better at telling you the care.
Chris

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:15 am

Ive had one three years now,

it has grown well and is over 5 inches wide,

it has never bloomed for me...

Keep doing whatever your doing!

*Barracuda_52* · Post by ***Barracuda_52*** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:54 am

WOW Todd, that one is very very beautiful..

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:09 pm

Stunning plant! I don't know how best to grow them, but one virtue is perhaps patience

CelticRose · Post by **CelticRose** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:40 pm

Beautiful!

You're obviously doing something right.

john b · Post by **john b** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:51 pm

Great looking flowers!

I love this plant and have one in my collection, but it has not bloomed for me. Mine is a winter grower -- it sat all summer looking pretty, but then nearly doubled in size this winter.

It seems to tolerate the wet and cold better than many South Americans -- it's a high-altitude plant that grows in snow and wet conditions. There are good descriptions of them in habitat in A Cactus Odyssey.

Congrats on a lovely plant!

Best,

John B

hob · Post by **hob** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:34 pm

i have seen that on a show bench side by side with Matucana aureiflora and i can't tell the difference

.............until it flowers

yours is Oroya peruviana mine is Matucana aureiflora........spot the difference

i even tagged mine Oroya peruviana

until it flowered

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:05 am

I have one of these (bought it labelled as Oroya peruviana v. depressa but i can't find much under that name though but i'm keeping it labelled as such).
I love the name, Oroya peruviana from Oroya in Peru.

Mine is immaculate but has never flowered. Oroya as a genus seem to be uncommon here and very little known.

It seems to tolerate the wet and cold better than many South Americans -- it's a high-altitude plant that grows in snow and wet conditions.

I'm amazed how much water it can take!! i water it more than any other cactus in my collection and it loves it (i try to never let it dry out completely). and yeah i find it weird it actually does grow in winter and likes to be wet and cold- a recipe for disaster for anything else

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:14 am

Oops forgot to congratulate Todd on such a fine plant and amazing flowers to boot.

they are really awesome, double colours. looking at those I hope mine obliges one day.

hegar · Post by **hegar** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:16 am

Hello Todd,
I too love that one! It seems to be glowing and hot to the touch!

Also, it is nice to hear, that this cactus does not mind wet and cold soil. I wonder how it would fare here in El Paso outdoors? I assume, that it does survive some frost. Am I correct with this assumption?

Harald

toddo · Post by **toddo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:55 am

Thanks so much for the kind words and tips. Wish I could take credit for it but I have only managed to keep it going for a couple of months. Good to know it can take a little water in winter. I'll put it in with the Melo's. Crazy how much your Matucana aureiflora looks similar, Hob.

Cheers,

Todd

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:59 am

Habitat has fairly wet summers (erratic torrential storms), very dry winters (essentially no rainfall), very large daily temperature variation (altitude, cold nights, warm days), and little annual temperature variation (tropics).

I would guess that your observations of winter growth are due to your summers being too warm rather than any built-in preference from the plants. Habitat has a very sunny dry season and less sunny wet season, rather than a traditional summer and winter. Daily high temperatures are more or less constant year round although winter nights are colder. Frost is possible year round and common in winter. Day temperatures are more often below 70F than above although the sun is extremely strong at altitude. Oroyas occur over a wide range and some may experience warmer temperatures. Or cooler!

For comparison, a common plant in the same habitat is Austrocylindropuntia floccosa, which is also observed to prefer a late autumn and early winter growing season in cultivation. It hates warm nights and trapped heat, and does poorly without intense light.