Plant Know-How: Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing'

Halloween may have come and gone but we're still feeling in the spooky spirit with Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing'! This plant is a cultivar of Cereus forbesii that displays a monstrose type of mutation. Typical cacti have one growth point, called the apical meristem. Cacti that have a monstrose mutation develop growth points all over, resulting in this strange knobbly type of growth. You may have also heard of crested cacti, which are another type of mutation of the apical meristem. The difference between crested cacti and monstrose cacti is that the crested mutation causes plants to develop symetrical growth points, while monstrose cacti have random growth points all over. Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' may look very different from your average cactus, but its care is very similar to most cacti! If you want to try growing this weirdo read on to learn about the best way to care for it!

HOW TO CARE FOR CEREUS FORBESII MONSTROSE 'MING THING':

Light Requirements: Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' need bright indirect light or direct sun to thrive. This is a great plant if you have an extra sunny and hot area in your home or an outdoor area. If grown outdoors in full sun be sure to protect your plant from direct afternoon sun as this harsher light can cause sunburn.

Water Tips for Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing': Like all desert cacti Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' wants to go completely dry in-between watering. If you're unsure if you should water wait a week. If you're new to cacti and need help figuring out when to water we recommend a moisture meter!

The Best Soil for Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing': This is a true desert dweller and needs a quickly draining cactus or succulent soil mix! We recommend our Desert Potting Mix!

Is Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' Pet Safe? Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' is non-toxic to pets!

Did you know? While Cereus forbesii monstrose 'Ming Thing' is mostly spineless, it does still have a few spines! Be sure to protect yourself with gardening gloves whenever handling this plant!