Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gymnocalycium multiflorum
Gymnocalycium multiflorum is a low, rounded chin cactus from Argentina with a light green to bluish body and stiff, yellowish spines. Its white flowers, sometimes flushed pink, are among the largest in its group and can be wider than the plant itself. It stays only a few inches tall and can form a clump with age. It suits pots, dish gardens and shady spots in a cactus bed.
Best for: pots, dish gardens and lightly shaded spots in a cactus bed. It stays low and puts on some of the largest flowers of any small cactus.
It stays only about 3 to 4 inches tall and 5 to 9 inches wide. That low shape suits a shallow pot or a dish garden.
Its white flowers, sometimes flushed pink, are among the largest in its group. They can grow wider than the plant itself.
It prefers light shade, so it fits a bed under a light tree canopy or on the east side of the house.
It can be damaged below about 18°F, so cover it on hard frost nights. Wet winter soil can rot it. Keep it out of hot, all-day sun.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water it regularly in summer when the soil is dry, without soaking it. Keep it dry in winter unless the winter is very dry.
This cactus prefers light shade over full sun. In the Valley, give it a spot under a light tree canopy or on the east side of the house.
It can be damaged below about 18°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning. Move pots under a patio roof on cold nights.
Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus mix with plenty of pumice, perlite or coarse sand. Water it when the mix is dry, and keep it drier in winter.
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.
Is Gymnocalycium multiflorum the same as Gymnocalycium monvillei?
Yes. Gymnocalycium multiflorum is now grouped with Gymnocalycium monvillei. Plants sold as multiflorum usually have a bluish body and white flowers.
How big does it get?
It stays low, about 3 to 4 inches tall and 5 to 9 inches wide. With age it can form a clump.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in summer once the plant is mature, with white flowers that are sometimes flushed pink. Give it at least a half day of bright light so it blooms.
Does it need full sun?
No. It prefers light shade, so give it a spot under a light tree canopy or on the east side of the house.
How often should I water it?
Wait about a week after planting, then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water it regularly in summer when the soil is dry, without soaking it. Keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It can be damaged below about 18°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, and move pots under a patio roof.
What soil does it need in the Valley?
Plant it in soil that drains fast, like sandy or gravelly native soil, with no compost. If you hit caliche, break through it so water drains, or choose another spot.
How do I handle it without getting stuck?
Wear thick leather gloves, and wrap the plant in folded newspaper or cloth to lift it. Keep it away from spots where kids play.
Gymnocalycium multiflorum for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gymnocalycium multiflorum is now grouped with Gymnocalycium monvillei. It is a low chin cactus from Córdoba, Argentina, grown for its big flowers. Below is what to expect in a Valley pot or bed: size, sun, water, cold and flowers.
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.
What is Gymnocalycium multiflorum?
It is a low chin cactus from Córdoba, Argentina, now grouped with Gymnocalycium monvillei. It is grown for its very large flowers.
How big does Gymnocalycium multiflorum get?
It stays about 3 to 4 inches tall and 5 to 9 inches wide. It can form a clump with age.
Gymnocalycium multiflorum flowers
Mature plants bloom in summer with white flowers, sometimes flushed pink. The flowers can be wider than the plant.
Growing Gymnocalycium multiflorum in Phoenix
Give it light shade and fast-draining soil. Water it in summer when the soil is dry, and keep it dry in winter.
Is Gymnocalycium multiflorum cold hardy?
It can be damaged below about 18°F. Cover it with frost cloth on hard frost nights, and keep the soil dry through winter.
Gymnocalycium multiflorum in a pot
Its low shape suits a shallow pot. Use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
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.