Melocactus broadwayi cacti are not the easiest things to grow and aren’t plants for beginners. The plant is native to the West Indies.
Melocactus is a genus of cacti belonging to the Cactaceae family and native to the Caribbean. This genus has about 30 – 40 species and was initially named Cactus Melocactus in 1753 by Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus. The Melocactus broadwayi has 13-18 ribs and a white cephalium with brownish-red bristles. It has bright pink flowers followed by pear shaped red fruit.
Melocactus broadwayi grows from April to October, it can’t endure long stretches of total dryness, and also too much water will rot it, as its weak root systems tends to be inefficient at sucking up water from wet soil. Nonetheless, again as a result of their tropical origins, they need a fair amount of water, but allow the soil to dry quite a bit before watering again.
This plant requires plenty of sunlight to survive. If planting outdoors, plant it in a sunny spot; otherwise, it won’t thrive well.
Feed your plant during the growing season to give them a little boost. A good, balanced cactus or liquid succulent fertilizer diluted in water is ideal.
Melocactus rests from October to April but can’t stand cold, or even fairly cool temperatures, so is indispensable to keep it above 8-12°C at all times.
