Today I want to invite you to know one of the “most common” cacti but worth having, because when it blooms is a show that you will not want to miss, and I mean this beautiful cactus named Echinopsis oxygona, Echinopsis multiplex or commonly known as Easter Lily Cactus. This article is your Easter Lily Cactus Care Guide.
Table of Contents
Easter Lily Cactus: Characteristics of Echinopsis oxygona or multiplex
The Echinopsis genus is formed by more than 150 species, among them is this beautiful Echinopsis oxygona, it is native from South America, specifically in the countries: Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Echinopsis oxygona is also known as Echinopsis multiplex and popularly named Easter Lily Cactus and belongs to the Cactaceae family.
The shape of its stem is rounded, spherical, or somewhat elongated globose, the diameter of this cactus in adult specimens reaches up to 10” (25 cm) and can have a maximum height of 12” (30 cm). Echinopsis oxygona is not a very large cactus. Its color is green or grayish-green depending on the conditions to which we have it exposed.
Each stem of Echinopsis oxygona can have 11 to 18 pronounced ribs where it has areoles with very small central spines of a reddish color, the radial spines may or may not be present.
This Echinopsis Easter Lily cactus is very easy to propagate and care for, it is ideal for beginners or inexperienced cactus collectors.
Echinopsis oxygona Care
By following these tips you will be able to properly care for your Echinopsis oxygona cactus. You will also learn how to propagate the Easter Lily Cactus easily and how to take care of pests and diseases.
Easter Lily Cactus Care – Lighting
Easter Lily Cactus Care – Lighting. Although it is a cactus, we must take into account that if our Echinopsis oxygona are very small they can get burned if we leave them in direct sun exposure all day long,
So we recommend that if they are still young specimens, you only expose them to direct sunlight in the mornings.
In summer you have to be careful that in the hours of more intense sun they can have some shade to prevent them from getting burned.
If your Echinopsis oxygona is already an adult specimen, you can adapt it little by little to support direct sun all day long, later we will explain why this will benefit them a lot.
Easter Lily Cactus Care – Watering
The issue of watering is very important, we must avoid overwatering our Echinopsis oxygona, that is why we recommend that you water them approximately every 20 to 25 days, always check that their substrate is dry before making the next watering, and remember that this should be deep.
Once autumn arrives, we will gradually decrease watering and once we are in winter, we will avoid watering our Echinopsis oxygona, they will stay well without water until spring arrives.
Easter Lily Cactus Care – Temperature
Easter Lily Cactus Care – Temperature. Echinopsis oxygona thrives very well in warm environment.
Regarding to cold temperatures, the Easter Lily Cactus can withstand temperatures down to 14°F (-10°C) as long as their substrate is dry, as they are very hardy, they are excellent to have outdoors.
Best Substrate for Easter Lily Cactus
Best Substrate for Easter Lily Cactus. Echinopsis oxygona is not a cactus that requires a very enriched substrate. However, it will be necessary to provide it with a very draining soil so that it does not become waterlogged and prevent rotting problems.
Best Substrate for Easter Lily Cactus. A substrate with a 70% mineral and 30% organic mix will maintain good drainage and proper growing conditions. (Order it here)
We recommend that you plant your Easter Lily Cactus in wide pots, the roots they develop are not usually very deep so the pot can be shallow.
Echinopsis oxygona Care – Fertilization
Echinopsis oxygona Care – Fertilization. It is advisable to fertilize this type of cactus in the period from spring to summer, preferably with a slow-release fertilizer and indicated especially for cacti.
In our experience, we have fertilized with banana peel tea and rice water twice a month and the Echinopsis oxygona has been maintained very well.
Remember to provide adequate potassium to encourage flowering. Best fertilizer for Cactus (Order it here).
How to Propagate Echinopsis oxygona
One of the wonders of this type of cactus is the large number of offspring they give, these develop around the mother plant, the only thing to do is to separate them carefully and if they already have their roots, we can plant them immediately in their new pot.
If when detaching them we see that they still do not develop roots, we must place them in a shady place until the part of the cut heals and until that moment plant them in their new pots, we recommend that you start watering them 4 days after planting them and do it by immersion.
We recommend the use of rooting hormone for propagation for greater success (Order it here).
They can also propagate by seed, but for this process, we have to make sure that their flowers have been pollinated and then wait for the production of seeds, it is recommended that these are sown in early spring at a temperature of 77°F (25°C), in good conditions usually germinate within 5 days of planting.
Learn more about How to Grow Cactus from Seed. Quality Cactus Seeds (Order it here).
Flowering Echinopsis oxygona
Easter Lily Cactus blooms pink and white. Provide adequate potassium to encourage flowering.
This is my favorite part of having Echinopsis oxygona. Easter Lily Cactus blooms with huge flowers, and beautifully colored. With the hybrids that are currently emerging, you will realize that you can find many variations of beautiful colors.
Easter Lily Cactus flowers usually give off a pleasant aroma and are usually white or pink.
When does the Easter Lily Cactus Bloom?
When does the Easter Lily Cactus Bloom? Easter Lily Cactus flowers emerge in late spring and can be repeated flowering throughout the summer.
Why My Easter Lily Cactus Does Not Bloom?
Why My Easter Lily Cactus Does Not Bloom? Echinopsis oxygona will need to be at least 3 years old to bloom.
Also, it is advisable to have them adapted to a good hour of direct sunlight, as this will favor their flowering. Regarding nutrient deficiencies, keep in mind the flowering process needs adequate potassium in the succulent plant soil.
A very important fact is that the Easter Lily Cactus flowers open at night and do not usually last long. So when you see that your Echinopsis oxygona are about to bloom, keep an eye on them so you do not miss this beautiful show.
Frequent Problems with Echinopsis oxygona
Frequent Problems with Echinopsis oxygona. One of the worst enemies of Echinopsis oxygona is the excess humidity. You have to take good care of the amount of water we provide them to avoid fungus and rotting problems.
Remember that in cacti when we already see rotting is because the problem has spread and it may be that we get to lose the plant.
It can also be attacked by mealybugs and red spider mites, so do not forget about your Easter Lily Cactus and remember to check them periodically so that if any pest appears you can attack and eliminate it in time and it will not cause you more problems.
As you will see, collecting cactus also has its charm and we hope that if you still do not have any specimens of them you decide to give them a chance, you will see that you will not regret it.
Learn more about How to Take Care of a Cactus for Beginners and Why is my Cactus Turning Yellow?
