The cactus is supplied in a nursery pot. You can put it into a decorative pot or choose to repot it. It’s best to use a potting compost for cacti or mix some sharp sand or fine gravel with regular potting compost. Choose a pot with holes in the base and cover the bottom with a layer of potsherds or hydro granules. Put some compost in the pot and plant the cactus at the correct depth. Fill with compost, press firmly and water slightly when planted. When handling them wrap the cactus in newspaper or use thick gardening gloves to avoid the prickliness of its spines. Place the pot in a sunny spot.

Enjoy this very striking houseplant in a remarkable red-brown color! This easy to care for cactus grows well in a warm and sunny spot (not in full sun) in your living room. Water moderately, as the compost can be a little on the dry side (let the plant dry out between waterings). During the cold winter months the plant requires hardly any water, so water less often. In spring give the occasional misting and then slowly start watering again. Also add a little fertiliser in with the irrigation water.

Many people think that the coloured part at the top of the cactus is a flower, which is not true, it is actually the Gymnocalycium. It lacks chlorophyll and can only grow when grafted onto a green rootstock where the energy for the growth of the plant comes from. Without the green rootstock the beautiful brightly coloured cactus will not survive.