Thelocactus bicolor

The Thelocactus bicolor is indigenous to the northern Chihuahuan Desert (USA - Texas), and Mexico (Chihuahuan Desert, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas). Active growing season takes place during the summer months. It is a relatively easy species to cultivate and is more cold tolerant then the majority of cacti. Happily, the T. bicolor has a steady/fast growth rate and flowers easily. This species will clump and flower together if provided with what it requires.

Provide your friend with porous, well-draining soil. Standard cactus/succulent potting mix blended with perlite/sand/gravel works well. If you provide compost that is too rich, the cactus will elongate. Use a pot with very good drainage to avoid rot (rot prone). Provide a regular watering schedule from Spring to Autumn. Do not overwater your friend, you will kill her. During the summer months, feed with a high potassium fertilizer. During the winter months, keep dry.

Attributes:

-Flowers

1. Blooms with little effort
2. Flowers are visually pleasing, bold and colorful

-Better species for novice gardeners

1. Relatively easy to cultivate
2. Cold hardy (for a cactus)
3. Steady growth rate

Synonyms:

Cactus bicolor Teran & Berland.
Echinocactus bicolor Pfeiff. in Pfeiff. ex Pfeiff.
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus Hook.
Echinocactus rhodophthalmus var. ellipticus Hook.
Ferocactus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) N.P.Taylor
Hamatocactus bicolor I.M.Johnst.
Thelomastus bicolor (Galeotti ex Pfeiff.) Frič in Kreuz.