Grafted Cleistocactus winterii ssp. colademononis

[robinast]

Two or three years ago, I ordered a couple of bigger Cereus peruvianus plants (for using as rootstocks for cactus cristates). When the plants arrived, I was not just very pleased - as they were anything but what I've ordered. Up to now I have no idea what species the plants are. A couple of them I used for grafting and one of them I planted into the cactus bed in my greenhouse. It started to grow with an enormous speed, reaching more than two meters in three summers. Soon it would have reach the roof and so I decided to 'decapitate' the plant and graft something on top of it. This something was Cleistocactus winterii ssp. colademononis. It also started to grow very fast. I hope to have a flowering cascade of these beautiful 'monkey tails'  . Unfortunately, the spination is much worse than that on the mother plant: spines are shorter and stiffer. Who know, maybe it will be better next growing season.

[robinast]

On such a mighty rootstock (approximately 1.6 m high Cereus-like unidentified species), it's not a miracle that the growth of the scion has been extremely vigorous:



A miracle is that that young graft is going to flower  already. I count more than 30 buds now and their number seems to be increasing!



The upper graft is a clone that grows more vigorously and the lower clone flowers abundantly while having somewhat weaker growth.

[robinast]

Now in flower:

[Carlo & Daniele]

very very nice flowers!!!

[robinast]

The 'colademon' continues to please my eyes and warm my heart. Have a look again: