Peanut Cactus

Peanut Cactus (Echinopsis chamaecereus) is the small cactus that earns its keep by flowering hard. It sits about 15cm tall and spreads to around 30cm, a low cluster of soft bristled stems the thickness of a finger, and in spring it covers itself in large orange to red blooms.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers you can count on. Large orange to red blooms open across the whole clump in spring, unusual in a cactus this small.
• It thrives on neglect. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and content in poor soil, so a forgotten pot is closer to ideal than a problem.
• It multiplies itself. Stems branch and offset steadily, filling a bowl into a dense mound you can break up and spread around.
• Indoors or out. It takes a bright sill through a cold winter, or a full sun position outdoors in the right climate.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and indoors. A wide shallow bowl suits the spreading habit better than a deep pot, and gritty mix with a clear drainage hole matters more than pot size. It is small enough for a courtyard table or a bright windowsill.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. Tuck it into a warm pocket between stones where the crown stays dry. Reflected heat off rock brings the flowers on earlier.

Growing peanut cactus in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun outdoors, or the brightest window you have inside. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens, and handles light frost only, so cool temperate and frost prone inland gardens should pot it and bring it under cover for winter.

Soil. A gritty cactus and succulent mix, or potting mix cut with about a third coarse sand. Poor soil is no obstacle, but standing water is fatal, so never leave a saucer full.

Water and feed. Water once the mix has dried right through, roughly every 10 to 14 days in warm weather, then keep it almost dry from late autumn until spring. That dry rest is what sets the flower buds. A weak liquid feed twice over spring and summer is plenty.

Pruning. None required. Stems snap off cleanly if a clump outgrows its bowl, and each piece strikes readily in dry mix.

What to expect when it arrives

Peanut Cactus is sold as tube stock, a young plant with a handful of stems rather than a full clump. Pot it into a 150mm to 200mm bowl of gritty mix and expect the first real flowering in its second spring.

Cacti travel better than almost anything, though hold off watering for a week after arrival. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Low maintenance cacti for a front facade
• Browse the full cacti range
• Plants for rockeries and gravel gardens

Common questions

Why is my peanut cactus not flowering?

Almost always too little sun or too much winter water. Give it the brightest position you have and keep it dry from late autumn to early spring, and buds normally follow.

Is it safe around pets and children?

It is not known to be poisonous, but the stems carry bristles that catch in skin and mouths. Keep it on a bench rather than at floor level where a curious dog or toddler will find it.

Can I grow it indoors all year?

Yes, provided the window is genuinely bright. Indoors it still wants a dry winter, so cut watering right back even though the room stays warm.

How much cold can it take?

Light frost only. A brief touch of frost on dry soil is survivable, but repeated hard frosts turn the stems to mush.