Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)

El peyote It is a small cactus with a very slow growth that, however, produces small flowers of great ornamental value. In addition, its cultivation is simple since it does not need much to be healthy, it can even be kept in a pot throughout its life.

For a long time it has been used as a psychedelic plant, and that is something that today has led it to the list of critically endangered plant species. Therefore, if we get a specimen we have to make sure that it comes from legal cultivation. If that has been your case, discover how to take care of it  .

How is it?

This is a cactus known as peyote, and whose scientific name is Lophophora williamsii. It is endemic to Mexico, found only in the states of Nayarit, Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and in some areas of Querétaro and Zacatecas. The species was described by Charles Antoine Lemaire in 1894.

Reaches a height of about 5cm by up to 12cm in diameter. Its shape is almost spherical, although as it ages it becomes somewhat columnar. The body is divided into 5-13 button-shaped ribs, and is grayish-green to bluish in color. The areolas do not have spines, except if it is young, and they are covered by whitish hairs.

The flowers, which bloom in spring, are pink. The root is thick and conical.

How do you take care of yourself?

Growing a peyote correctly is not difficult; However, it is important to keep a few things in mind so that everything goes smoothly:

Location

You have to put it outside, in full sun. In low light conditions, your body becomes etiolated (that is, it lengthens and becomes weak). But be careful: if in the nursery they had it protected from the star king, get used to it little by little so that it does not burn.

It is not a plant to keep indoors. Even if it were placed right in front of the window it would have a poor development.

Earth

• Flower pot: it is advisable to mix universal substrate or black peat with perlite in equal parts. Other options are simply planting it on the pomx, or mixed with river sand.
• Garden: grows in sandy soils with very good drainage. If the soil you have does not meet these conditions, make a hole of about 40cm x 40cm, cover the ends and the base with shading mesh, and then fill it with the substrate mentioned above.

Irrigation

The frequency of irrigation must be very low, almost zero in winter. This is a cactus that resists drought well, but excess water seriously harms you. Hence, it is so important that the substrate or soil has excellent drainage; and it is that a single carelessness can rot it.

With this in mind, if you don't have much experience caring for plants I advise you to check the humidity before watering, at least initially until you get the hang of it. For that, you can use a digital humidity meter, or a thin wooden stick.

If you have it in a pot, weigh it once watered and again after a few days, so you will notice that the wet soil weighs more than the dry one and, therefore, you can be guided by this difference in weight.

Don't wet the cactus: only the soil. This prevents the appearance of fungi, and also burns  .

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From early spring to late summer It must be paid with specific fertilizers for cacti following the indications specified on the package, or with a small spoonful of blue nitrofoska every 15 days.

Multiplication

It multiplies by seeds in spring. The step by step to follow is as follows:

1. The first thing you have to do is fill a tray with holes or a pot of about 10,5cm in diameter with universal growing medium mixed with 50% perlite.
2. Then water conscientiously.
3. Then, place a maximum of two seeds in each socket, or 5-6 in the pot.
4. Then cover them with a thin layer of previously washed river sand.
5. Finally, place the seedbed outside, in semi-shade.

So the first ones will germinate in about 2 weeks.

Plagues and diseases

Peyote is, by experience, one of the most resistant cacti to pests and diseases. You just have to protect it against molluscs (snails and slugs), since these animals have a weakness for soft plants that do not have thorns (although I have also seen them eat cactus with affiliated spikes, but that is another matter).

Planting or transplanting time

In spring. If you have it in a pot, transplant every 3 years until it reaches its adult size; then you can leave it in the same as long as you renew the substrate every 3-4 years.

Rusticity

Again, I speak from experience: weak and occasional frosts of up to -1,5ºC do not harm it, so it makes me think that it resists up to -2ºC, or perhaps -3ºC with damage. Of course, during its youth it is advisable to protect it from hail. The frost, even if it is weak and lasts little more than a few hours until the sun rises, it can cause some (minor) burns.

What uses does it have?

I'd love to say just ornamental; maybe that would have saved him from the endangered species list, but ... that would be lying. In fact, its most widespread and popular use is psychedelic. Indigenous peoples use it in their meditation rituals and practices, and outside of Mexico many people want to try it to experience "hallucinogenic trips."

What does the law say?

Well, the law is very strict both regarding the trade and consumption of peyote. In Mexico The State Law for the Development of Indigenous Communities and Peoples recognizes that the plant is sacred to the natives, so that the natives are not prohibited from cultivating, transporting or using it.

En United States, can only be used by members of the Native American Church. On the other hand, in Canada, it is on the list of controlled substances and drugs.

Y for the rest of the world, the extraction of plants from their natural habitat and then selling them abroad is considered a crime.

I hope that everything you have learned about peyote has been useful to you  .