Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Shrub
Origin
South America
Europe, Morocco, Western Asia
Types
Gymnocalycium alboareolatum , Gymnocalycium amerhauseri , Gymnocalycium andreae
-
Number of Varieties
54700
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Semi desert
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Mountain Slopes, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-125-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-5
Sunset Zone
13,21,22,23,24
A1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
12.50 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
8.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
creamy white, Light Pink, Pink
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
Pink
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
All year
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Sand, Sandy
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Sandy
Well drained
Bloom Time
All year
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Offsets
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not water excessively
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Dry
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
-
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Ammonium Nitrate
Pests and Diseases
Mealy bugs, Root rot
Armillaria mellea, Chlorosis, Crown rot, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Verticillium Wilt
Plant Tolerance
Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
Drought, Dry soil, Shade areas, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ants, Mealybugs
Bees, Butterflies, Moths
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ornamental use
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Food for animals, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Arthritis, Bladder Infection, Colic, Diarrhea, Gout, Inflammation, Kidney Stones, Rheumatism, Stomach pain, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits
Flowers
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes
Can be made into a herbal tea, Food for animals, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Showy Tree
Container, Cutflower, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
GYMNOCALYCIUM
CALLUNA vulgaris
Common Name
Chin Cactus
Heather, Common heather, Ling
In Hindi
Gymnocalycium
हीथ
In German
Gymnocalycium
Heidekraut
In French
Gymnocalycium
bruyère
In Spanish
Gymnocalycium
brezo
In Greek
Gymnocalycium
ερείκη
In Portuguese
Gymnocalycium
urze
In Polish
Gymnocalycium
wrzos
In Latin
Gymnocalycium
Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Ericales
Family
Cactaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Gymnocalycium
Calluna
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Trichocereeae
Ericeae
Subfamily
Cactoideae
Ericoideae
Number of Species
54860
1
27800
👆🏻