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Cacti & Succulents

Looking for an ID on this cactus and more

6 years ago

Someone left this guy at my work a few months ago and I took him home out of fear he would get thrown away (I work at a bar)

This is the first plant I've ever taken care of so I'm totally green to this but am very interested in keeping him alive and healthy. The first photo is a month old, and is of the original enclosure he came in. He'd been in there for about 6 months until I moved him to a larger pot a few weeks ago.

He seemed to be doing really well in his new pot and I immediately started noticing growth. However the other day I set him on my windowsill/facing east because I figured some sun would be good for him. However, when I returned later that evening his spindle, which was sticking straight up as it is in the first picture, had completely wilted as noted in the latter pictures.

Im first and foremost looking for an ID on what species of cactus I'm dealing with but if anyone has any insight into why putting him in the sun would cause him to wilt I would love to hear it.

Thank you all for your time.

Ps. If it helps, I live in Austin Texas and his original container said locally grown on it, but I've only known prickly pears to grow here.

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Comments (2)

Liz (Virginia z6b)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Looks like an Opuntia monacantha variegata, so related to the prickly pear, which is also an Opuntia. :)

Not sure why it wilted, but maybe it was too much light too soon. Plants, even cactuses, need to be acclimated to stronger light. I'm assuming it wasn't getting much light at the bar, given the spindly growth. Putting the cactus in direct sun won't correct the bad growth, so I'd cut off the skinny parts and discard them. O. monacantha is considered monstrose, and its growth habits will always make it look a bit stretched and weird, but not to the extent yours is.

ETA: plants can take a bit of time to settle in after being repotted, which could also explain the wilting.
iwareblack thanked Liz (Virginia z6b)
iwareblack
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you! I'm keeping him inside the windowsill for now until he gets acclimated. When you say cut off the skinny parts are you referring to his horn or to the lower growths near the base?
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