Lophophora williamsii

Growing Lophophora williamsii in the UK

Williamsii are genuinely easy to keep and genuinely easy to kill with kindness. I killed my very first cactus by overwatering and babying it, so please learn from my mistakes. Give them the sunniest windowsill or greenhouse spot you have, a very mineral substrate, and only water once the pot has been bone dry for a good while. When in doubt, don't.

From around October to March they want to be cool, dry and completely ignored. No water at all over winter. Your plant will flatten and wrinkle a little and that is completely normal, it is having a nap, not dying. It plumps back up with the first spring waterings.

Substrate wise, think rocks with a rumour of soil. Our horticultural pumice mixed with a small amount of cactus compost works a treat, and there is a full breakdown in Cactus Substrate 101.

Seeds, seedlings or adults?

• Peyote seeds: the cheapest way in and honestly quite addictive. Fresh seed germinates well with the takeaway tub method in our germination guide. You will need patience, but you will end up with a small army.
• Seedlings: the sensible middle ground. Past the fragile baby stage, years ahead of seed, and they settle into UK growing without drama. The 10 pack special is the best value way to build a shelf.
• Adults and Old Boys: our name for the established chunky specimens. Proper button shape, plenty of wool, and flowers in the growing season.
• Grafted plants and degrafts: grafting williamsii onto Trichocereus stock speeds growth up enormously, and a degraft is one of those plants taken off its stock to carry on with its own roots. Fancy having a go yourself? Grafting Cactus 101 walks you through the whole thing.

Varieties and forms you will see here

• var. caespitosa: the clumping form. Instead of one tidy button you get pups on pups, slowly turning into a mound that fills the pot. Very satisfying to watch. Larger clumps like our specimen listings show exactly the plant you are buying.
• var. jourdaniana: a rarer form with violet pink flowers and a bit of botanical debate around its status, which is half the fun.
• Cousins: we also grow Lophophora fricii, a different species with its own look, if you are building out the full Lophophora shelf.

Lophophora williamsii FAQ

How slow is slow?

On its own roots, a seed grown williamsii cactus is usually around 2 to 3cm across after 3 or 4 years. This is a plant that teaches you patience whether you asked for the lesson or not. Grafting speeds things up massively.

When do they flower?

Once mature and happy, they throw up small pink flowers from the woolly centre through the warmer months, often in several flushes. They are self fertile too, so even a single plant can set seed for you.

What do the sizes mean?

Sizes like 3cm or 6cm are the head diameter, measured across the button. Each listing shows either the exact plant or the batch your plant comes from.

Do they really go all winter without water?

Yes. Cool, dry, bright and ignored from autumn until spring. A wrinkly winter williamsii is a healthy one. Water plus cold is the one combination that reliably kills them.

Why are plants sent bare root?

Wet soil in a box travelling through the postal system is a recipe for rot and squashed plants. Bare root is far safer, arrives cleaner and settles quicker. Have a pot and dry substrate ready, then give the roots a week or so to settle in before the first water.

Still got questions?

The glossary of common cactus terms covers the jargon, and for anything else use the contact form or the WhatsApp button. Plant chat is the best part of this job :-).