In the past, my house planted a few cacti, and every blooming season, the corner of the yard was filled with the colors of the eight flowers. Even though it is thorny and dry, the leaves are green all year round and the flowers are vibrant, so my family loves it very much. For some reason, I find the Eight Immortals flower extremely attractive, possessing a particularly strange beauty. Furthermore, the Eight Immortals cactus is extremely easy to grow and care for.

Image of eight immortal cacti

Eight Immortals cactus , scientific name is Euphorbia milii . This flower looks thorny, but during the flowering season it produces brilliant colors. This is a plant introduced from the native region of the island kingdom of Madagascar. In Vietnam, the tree is also known as the crown of thorns flower or eight fairy flower. The Eight Immortals cactus has brilliant flowers and diverse colors. Not only that, the plant’s design is very unique, so it is popular with many people.

Although the Eight Immortals cactus is thorny, it has an attractive beauty

The Eight Immortals cactus belongs to the thorny cactus species. The stems are quite diverse in color such as green, reddish brown, purple brown, etc. Like other types of cacti, the stems have thorns and latex, the Eight Immortals cactus has very diverse spine designs from single spines to thorns. dual. As the tree ages, the trunk turns grey-white, dries and shrivels.

Eight Immortals cactus leaves are divided into many types, depending on the living conditions and age of the plant, as well as the position of the leaves, creating leaves with different shapes such as long oval, round oval, lanceolate. . The leaf blades are usually glossy green, but a few varieties have a fresh green color.

The Eight Immortals cactus has flowers in a variety of colors such as blue, red, yellow, etc. When flowering, the flowers often grow in clusters under the leaf axils, so the plant produces very beautiful, long-lasting flowers. The flower stalk is long and on the outside there are 2 bracts of the same color as the flower. The flower bloom time is very long, lasting about 2 – 6 months.

The Eight Immortals cactus, like the succulent, has strong vitality, can withstand dry heat and drought very well, and has a very long lifespan.

Eight Immortals cacti have unique flower colors

Cacti are plants that often live in arid deserts, an environment that can be said to be the harshest on earth. Cacti with their intense vitality, endurance and ability to adapt to the environment make us admire them. dress.

Eight Immortals cacti also have the meaning of repelling evil spirits and neutralizing evil spirits, bringing luck and happiness to the family. However, you need to pay attention to the appropriate placement of the Eight Immortals cactus to avoid bad feng shui in your living space.

In addition, with the representation of love, the Eight Immortals cactus is also the crystallization of effort and intense love, symbolizing eternal love or the secret love that the other person is hiding. heart.

The Eight Immortals cactus has a special meaning

The Eight Immortals cactus has strong vitality and can live in hot weather conditions with little nutrients, so it does not require too much during the growing process.

To propagate, you can buy seeds at bonsai stores, but you can also propagate the Eight Immortals cactus at home.

Propagated by seeds

After harvesting the seeds of the plant, sow the eight immortal cactus seeds into a soil pot, water lightly about 2 times a day and place the pot in a cool location, away from direct sunlight. In about 3-4 weeks, the seeds will germinate and begin to take root.

However, this method is not commonly practiced because the eight immortal cactus seeds are very difficult to harvest, and the growing time is also very long.

Video reference on how to grow eight immortal cacti using the seed method

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvquQeXj9KE

Propagated by branch cutting method

First, use a knife to cut a strip of bark on the trunk of the Eight Immortals cactus. Wait a short time for the cut to dry, then you can use water hyacinth roots or coconut fiber to wash, squeeze dry and apply to the area where you have circled the bark. Use a plastic bag to wrap tightly around the cut. After about 2-3 weeks, the cuttings begin to take root, so you can cut them off and plant them.

Propagate by cuttings method

You should choose a branch that has just matured to cut the branch. After that, wait for the sap in the cut to dry, then plant the cuttings in a soil pot. Note, you should place the pot in a cool place while waiting for the branches to take root and should not water during this time.

How to grow eight immortal cacti

Regarding the soil for planting cactus, it must be loose and rich in nutrients. For the plant to grow well, you should choose alluvial soil or humus soil. My house doesn’t have alluvial or humus soil, so I use sandy soil to grow plants. Even though they don’t have enough nutrients, the plants still grow well and produce flowers, but the flower color is not as bright and vibrant. You can mix soil with decomposed manure or rice husk ash to increase soil nutrients.

The Eight Immortals cactus is a plant that does not tolerate waterlogging, so you need to choose a deep pot with drainage holes.

Before planting, you should use a little crushed brick at the bottom of the pot, and you can add a layer of coconut fiber to ensure ventilation and quick drainage for the plant. Put the prepared soil mixture into about ½ of the pot. Then, place the tree in the pot, fix the tree in balance and fill it with soil and gently press the soil surface, so that the tree does not tilt. Then put the pot of the newly planted tree in a cool place. After the tree has taken root, gradually expose it to sunlight.

Adult Eight Immortals cactus

About light

The Eight Immortals cactus belongs to the cactus family, so it has the ability to adapt to hot weather conditions very well and can withstand direct sunlight. If the plant is not provided with enough light every day, it will grow and develop slowly, become barren and may stop flowering.

About irrigation water

Eight Immortals cactus is a drought-resistant plant, so it does not need to be watered a lot. Water the plant when the soil in the pot is dry, each time a sufficient amount to provide moisture to the plant. Depending on the weather conditions, you can adjust the amount of water appropriately. If it rains, you should only water 1-2 times a week. If it’s sunny, you can increase the watering frequency to about 2-3 times a week. .

About fertilizers

The type of fertilizer commonly used for cacti is NPK. You can use NPK 30-10-10 fertilizer for seedlings to provide nutrients for the plants. If you want to stimulate early flowering of the Eight Immortals cactus, you should use NPK 15-30-15 fertilizer. When the tree has just flowered, use NPK 10-10-30 fertilizer to fertilize the tree to keep the tree trunk strong and the flowers to last longer.

About pests and diseases

Eight Immortals cacti are often attacked by pests and diseases such as leaf spots, thrips, pests, etc. If the quantity is small and only appears on a few leaves, you can use your hands to pick off the pest-damaged leaves and discard them. , avoid spreading to other parts of the tree. In cases where many pests and diseases appear on the tree, Anvill 5SC or Topsin M-70WP can be used to treat leaf spot disease; Kasuran treats rot; Basudin treats problems related to leafhoppers and Sherpa, Trebon, Bi58 treats thrips,…

Above is the basic information, as well as how to propagate, plant and care for the Eight Immortals cactus flower. Hopefully this information will help you somewhat in the process of growing an eight fairy cactus that produces brilliant flowers <3.