Grafted Moon Cactus Plants

Grafted Moon Cactus Plants are very easy to care plant for indoor and outdoors. It survives in bright and partial sunlight and indoor lights and it does not require water frequently.  They are extremely low maintenance plants. These cute little cacti will add bright colours to your life, especially in indoor areas such as windowsill or porch area and glasshouse, Rock Garden.

PLANT DETAILS

Moon Cactus is actually not one plant, it is two plants grafted together. The mutants of Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, a cactus species from South America often grafted onto hylocereus cactus and the combined plants are called  “Moon Cactus”.  The mutant plants naturally do not produce chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis.  Thus, lack of chlorophyll allows for the bright, glowing colours to show.  These plants need human grafting to another plant to get a sufficient quantity of the nutrients and chlorophyll to sustain.

Moon cactus come in bright pink, bright yellow, and orange and Burgundy colour pigmentation in the shape of round-looking balls, with thorns and they, are sitting on top of another green coloured cactus.  This plant is something unique and funny looking because of it’s out of the box characters.

These cacti plants not only helps to create a healthy environment but also helps to create a colourful, lively ambience at home.  In summary, Grafted Moon Cactus is fun, easy to care for, little plant to add to your collection and to gift for someone, who is a beginner in this field.  They are easy to care for, easy to grow, but very versatile and stylish.  Go Green.

Scientific Name: Gymnocalycium mihanovichii cultivars

Synonyms: Echinocactus mihanovichii, Gymnocalycium friedrichii

Common Names: Grafted Moon Cactus, Ruby Ball, Red Cap, Red Hibotan, or Hibotan cacti

Family: Cactaceae

Native Distribution: South America

Benefit:  Ornamental plants for landscaping, home decor

Bright Pink Moon Cactus Plant care

• Light: Bright, indirect sunlight and indoor light.
• Soil: Dry Soils / Drought, Well-Drained Soils so that the plants do not sit in marshy soil for more than a day or two after watering
• Water: Little Water.  Please avoid overwatering, the soil should be dry before re-watering. Need frequent watering in summer and avoid watering in the winter months.
• Temperature:  Minimum 48 degrees
• Fertilizer: Minimum
• Propagation: The moon cactus is already grafted in a process that removes the bottom of the Hibotan and the top of the rootstock cactus. The two halves are set together at the cut ends and soon heal together.  It can also be grown from seed, but this takes at least a year for a recognizable specimen.
• Toxicity: Toxic to Pets

Life Stage

Plant Division: Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants)

Lifespan:  Perennial

Mode of Nutrition: Autotrophic, Heterotrophic

Plant Shape:  Shrubby

Plant Size:   Maximum height 10 cm, maximum spread 6 to 12 cm.

Floral (Angiosperm)

Flower Colours:  Bright Pink, Red, Yellow, Burgundy