Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Fat Blue Myrtle Cactus
Fat Blue Myrtle is a selection of blue myrtle cactus that local growers sell as the 'Major' form. Like the species, it builds a branched, blue-green candelabra over the years and makes a bold accent in a desert yard. Small creamy white flowers in early spring are followed by sweet fruit you can eat. It takes full sun and reflected heat, and the 30" Box size gives you a specimen right away.
Best for: an instant specimen from the box size, a blue accent on the hot side of the yard, and cactus gardens with room to branch.
Blue myrtle grows slowly, so the larger sizes and the 30" Box skip years of waiting. A big plant already shows the branched candelabra shape.
It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls and paving. Once rooted it only needs water now and then.
Small creamy white spring flowers ripen into oblong fruit, deep red to blue and very sweet. The plant starts flowering at about 2 feet tall.
Nights below about 25°F can scar the branches, so cover the tips. Soil that stays wet leads to rot. A new plant can sunburn the first summer, so shade it lightly.
- Group planting6-10 ft apart
- From the property line7 ft
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°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.
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 the difference between Fat Blue Myrtle and regular blue myrtle?
Fat Blue Myrtle is sold by local growers as the 'Major' form of blue myrtle cactus. It is the same species, with the same care, spring flowers and edible fruit.
How tall does it get?
Blue myrtle can reach about 15 feet tall and about as wide over many years. In Phoenix it often stays shorter.
Why buy a large size?
Blue myrtle grows slowly, so the 25 Gallon and 30" Box sizes give you a branched plant without years of waiting.
Can it handle reflected heat?
Yes. It does well in full sun and reflected heat, so it suits a hot west or south side of the yard.
How cold can it get before it is damaged?
It takes damage at about 24 to 25°F. Below that the branches can scar, so cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth.
How much water does it need?
It needs little water, since it is drought resistant, but it likes an occasional deep watering, mostly in summer, and very little in winter.
Can you eat the fruit?
Yes. The small oblong fruit ripens deep red to blue and is very sweet.
When does it flower?
It flowers in early spring. The small creamy white flowers are fragrant, open at night and last about a day.
Will it sunburn after planting?
A newly planted cactus can sunburn its first summer. Plant it with the same side facing the sun and give it light shade that first summer.
Does it have spines?
Yes. Short, stiff spines sit in small clusters along the ribs, so wear gloves when you handle it.
Fat Blue Myrtle Cactus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Fat Blue Myrtle is the 'Major' form of blue myrtle cactus as sold by local growers. It shares the species' blue candelabra shape, spring flowers and sweet fruit. Here is what Valley homeowners ask before planting one.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Fat Blue Myrtle cactus in Phoenix
Fat Blue Myrtle is the 'Major' form of blue myrtle cactus sold by local growers. It builds a blue-green candelabra slowly and takes full sun and reflected heat.
Box-size blue myrtle specimens
Because blue myrtle grows slowly, a 30" Box plant gives you a branched specimen right away. Smaller sizes take years to branch.
Blue myrtle fruit
The small spring flowers turn into oblong fruit that ripens deep red to blue. The fruit is very sweet and edible.
Frost protection for blue myrtle
It is hardy to about 24 to 25°F. On colder nights, cover the branch tips with foam cups or frost cloth to keep them from scarring.
Watering a blue myrtle cactus
Water occasionally in the warm months and very little in winter. Fast-draining soil is a must.
Spacing blue myrtle cactus
Young plants fit 3 to 5 feet apart. A full-grown specimen can spread up to about 15 feet.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.