Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Crested Blue Myrtle
Crested blue myrtle is the crested form of blue myrtle cactus. Instead of round columns, its growing tips spread into wavy, fan-shaped crests of blue-gray stems that fold over one another, so each plant grows its own shape. It builds slowly and stays far smaller than the regular form, which makes it a living sculpture for pots, planters and rock gardens. It needs little water once rooted.
Best for: a sculptural centerpiece in a large pot or raised planter, a focal point in a rock garden, and entries where people can see it up close.
The crested stems fan out and fold over one another in waves. In a large pot or raised planter it reads as a piece of living sculpture.
Set it where people can see it up close, among rocks or low cacti. It grows slowly, so it keeps its shape in a small space for years.
Crests are unstable, and a round, normal stem can sprout from the crest. Cut those off so the plant puts its energy into the crest.
Young plants want light shade and can sunburn in hard sun. Protect it on frost nights. Soil that stays wet causes rot, so let it dry fully between waterings.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. In cooler weather, water only after two to four weeks without rain.
Water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry, and give little or none in winter. Plants in pots dry out faster and need water more often than plants in the ground.
Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery. Cover a new plant with light shade cloth its first summer, then remove it.
Below about 25 to 30°F, frost can scar the stem tips. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take covers off in the morning.
Now and then a normal, round stem sprouts from the plant. Cut it off at its base so the plant puts its energy into the crest.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is a crested cactus?
A crested form grows from a growing tip that spreads into a line, so the stem makes a wavy fan or crest instead of a round column. It looks a little like a brain or a dinosaur's back.
Is crested blue myrtle a different plant from blue myrtle?
No, it is the same species, blue myrtle cactus, growing in crested form.
How big does it get?
It stays far smaller than the regular form. Crests build slowly to about 6 feet tall, with some reaching 10, and about 2 to 5 feet wide.
Why is a normal stem growing out of my crest?
Crests are unstable, and normal growth can come back. Cut those round stems off, or they can take over the plant.
Does it need full sun?
Give it light shade while it is young, then full sun as it matures. A newly planted cactus can sunburn its first summer.
How often should I water it?
Soak it, then let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Water more in summer and very little in winter.
How cold can crested blue myrtle take?
Protect it when nights drop below about 25 to 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes, it does well in containers. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a fast-draining cactus mix.
Does every crest look different?
Yes, each crest grows its own pattern of folds, so every plant looks different.
Does it have spines?
It has short spines along the crest. Handle it with gloves and care.
Crested Blue Myrtle for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Crested blue myrtle is a slow, sculptural crested form of blue myrtle cactus, grown for its wavy blue-gray fans rather than its height. Each plant grows into its own shape. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most about keeping one.
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Crested blue myrtle vs regular blue myrtle
Regular blue myrtle grows into a branched candelabra up to 15 feet tall. The crested form grows wavy fans instead of columns and stays much smaller and slower.
Why crested cactus plants revert
Crests are unstable, so a normal round stem can sprout from the crest. Cut those stems off to keep the plant fully crested.
Crested blue myrtle in pots
It grows well in containers with fast-draining soil. It is slow, so it keeps its sculpted look in a pot for years.
Sun for crested blue myrtle in Phoenix
Give young plants light shade and move to full sun as they mature. New plants can sunburn their first summer.
Watering crested blue myrtle
Let the soil dry out completely between soakings. Water more in summer and very little in winter.
Frost protection for crested cactus
Cover it with frost cloth on nights below about 25 to 30°F. Take the cover off in the morning.
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