Geohintonia

The name was chosen in honor of its discoverer George Hinton. It is a monospecific genus, consisting only of the Geohintonia mexicana. It is a globular cactus, that over time takes on a slight cylindrical shape and has a typical grayish-green color, almost blue. The plant has numerous very marked ribs, where small delicate spines stand out, and often tend to detach over time. From the flattened and downy apex, in spring, wonderful flowers bloom, which are of very lively and decorative magenta shades. It is often thought to be a plant rather difficult to cultivate, as long as in nature it grows in a very limited area of Mexico, on chalky soils: actually, it simply has a moderate and rather slow growth, but its unique appearance will fully reward you! Here are some tips for its cultivation: It requires an exposure to full sun. It can be placed in a partially shaded area only if it still receives a lot of light throughout the year. Keep it at mild temperatures, never below 5 °C, for this reason it is recommended to shelter it during winter. Water moderately, only when the soil is completely dry. It is enough to water the plant once a week in spring and summer. Suspend watering completely in winter. The best soil is a well draining one, to avoid rotting, like a mixture of peat and pumice to avoid water stagnation. They do not need frequent fertilization, it is sufficient to dilute the fertilizer with watering once a year.