{"product_id":"cereus-peruvianus-monstrose","title":"Monstrose Peruvian Apple Cactus - Cereus peruvianus ‘Monstrosus’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMonstrose Peruvian Apple Cactus - Cereus peruvianus ‘Monstrosus’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA mutation of the ordinary columnar cereus, the monstrose form abandons the straight ribbed column and grows instead as a knobbly, lumpy, irregular blue-grey mass that looks carved rather than grown. No two plants are the same, and that unpredictability is exactly why designers use it. \u003cem\u003eCereus peruvianus\u003c\/em\u003e in this form stays slower and denser than the species and makes a genuine sculptural object in a gravel garden or a large pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy the Monstrose Form\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnique silhouette\u003c\/strong\u003e: Every plant grows differently, so a specimen is genuinely one of a kind.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColour\u003c\/strong\u003e: Blue-grey to sea green skin contrasts strongly with warm gravel, terracotta and rusted steel.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModest spines\u003c\/strong\u003e: Spines are short and far less hazardous than a barrel cactus, so it can sit closer to circulation.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWater independence\u003c\/strong\u003e: Established plants live off rainfall in most of southern and inland Australia.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSlow build\u003c\/strong\u003e: It thickens and complicates with age rather than shooting up and going leggy.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSculptural focal point\u003c\/strong\u003e: One plant on a gravel bed reads as an object rather than a shrub.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModern courtyard\u003c\/strong\u003e: Its irregular mass softens hard architectural surfaces without looking fussy.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge containers\u003c\/strong\u003e: Slow growth and shallow roots suit long term pot culture.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWaterwise grouping\u003c\/strong\u003e: Combined with agaves, aloes and euphorbias in an unirrigated bed.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 1.5m centres when grouped\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 3m centres\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and summer in warm soil\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very sharp drainage, coarse sandy or gritty soil, mounded if the ground is at all heavy\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water lightly every two to three weeks through the first warm season, then only during extended dry, and keep it dry over winter. Mulch with gravel so the base stays dry, and support tall stems with a discreet stake until the base thickens.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 3m over many years\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 1.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow to moderate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen succulent\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cultivated mutation of a species from eastern South America\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e White, opening at night, infrequent on monstrose forms\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"500mm","offer_id":59795361136926,"sku":"ND-0412-500MM","price":4000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/3ba9xsqvLJo2l2lp69lCc_lW7HFo6H.jpg?v=1787314186","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/cereus-peruvianus-monstrose","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}