General Information
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Scientific Name: Astrophytum capricorne
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Family: Cactaceae
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Origin: Native to northeastern and central Mexico
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Common Names: Goat’s Horn Cactus (refers to its long, twisted spines)
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Type: Succulent, slow-growing cactus
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Growth Habit: Solitary, globular to short columnar, sometimes slightly cylindrical with age
Shape
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Usually globular when young, gradually becoming shortly columnar as it matures.
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Can reach up to 60 cm (24 inches) in height and 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter.
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Has 6–8 prominent ribs (sometimes more), which are often slightly wavy.
Color
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The body is green to dark green, often with a white, woolly, or hairy coating along the areoles (especially in cultivated specimens).
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The areoles sometimes have yellowish wool at the base of the spines.
Spines
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Long, twisted, or curved, resembling goat horns.
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Color ranges from yellow to golden brown.
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They grow from woolly areoles spaced along the ribs.
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Spines are a key identifying feature and vary between varieties of A. capricorne.
Flowering
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Blooms in late spring to summer.
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Flowers are diurnal (open during the day).
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Flower size: 3–5 cm in diameter
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Flowers emerge near the top of the cactus and are short-lived but recurrent under good conditions.
Flower Colour
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Typically bright yellow with an orange or red center.
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The contrast with the green body and golden spines makes the cactus very attractive when flowering.
