The ruby ball is an albino plant, which means it has no chlorophyll. How to Grow Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli) at Home Whether you are gifted with a green thumb or not, our guide will help you grow the perfect houseplants.

The ruby ball scion is hardy in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 through 12. Older plants sometimes flower with pink blooms during the summer, and many people mistake the colored ball on top for a flower, when it is actually the plant itself. The only way it can survive is to be grafted on a green cactus … How to Grow Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus) Indoors The ruby ball cactus is a bright red, ball-shaped cactus that grows on a green base. Debra LaGattuta is a certified master gardener with decades of experience with perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. Like many cacti, these plants prefer a drying period between waterings, even to the point where they slightly wilt. Plants in small pots will only need weekly watering. When you water, however, you should water deeply. The cactus should not sit in a marshy soil for more than a day or so; good drainage is essential. Watering in the winter months is unnecessary, but mist the plant occasionally. Because these cacti are grafted, they are not appropriate for propagation. These plants are popular in cactus dish gardens. By contrast, the stock green cacti on the bottom are often light-lovers. These plants rarely last more than a few years, since the upper sicon and the lower rootstock portions grow at different rates. Many people assume that this red ball is a flower, but that’s not the case.

Under the right conditions, a well-cared-for moon cactus will produce beautiful flowers. Tips for Growing Echinopsis (Sea Urchin) Cactus Indoors This can eventually destroy the graft union between the two sections. A mutation of a normal cactus, it totally lacks the green pigmentation that allows other plants to absorb solar energy. Ruby ball cactus is a type of flowering cactus plant that produces brightly-colored flowers. The plant will noticeably plump up. Look for a bright area, but not so bright that the color of the top begins to wash out. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our

Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. You guessed it: red. Some people mistake the grafted colored cactus for a red or yellow cactus flower—however, this is part of the plant. Instead it’s an albino cactus, one without chlorophyll, more specifically Gymnocalycium mihanovicii friedrichii ‘Rubra’, also called Hibotan, grafted on a green cactus. During the summer months, the plant might need frequent watering, especially if it has been moved outside. The ruby ball cactus, also known as the red cap cactus, is a Weird & WackyWe use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. The Gymnocalycium cultivar -- sometimes called ruby ball cactus or moon cactus -- is actually two cacti in one. Allow the soil mix to become nearly dry between waterings, but then water thoroughly. If the ruby red is grafted onto a plant that remains hardy in those lower temperatures, and it is exposed to those temperatures, the grafted ru… Therefore, it relies on the rootstock cactus as a food source. The red ball tops are tolerant of more shade than many cacti and dislike direct sunlight. Make sure the soil meets the needs of the host cactus on the bottom. Variously called "Ruby Ball," "Red Cap Cactus," "Moon Cactus" or "Hibotan" (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. If you are interested in learning how to graft cacti yourself, it is not difficult, and many species can be successfully grafted. There are 19 ruby ball cactus for sale on Etsy, and they cost $21.22 on average. Jon VanZile is a Master Gardener and the author of "Houseplants for a Healthy Home." Make sure to fertilize the  What do moon cactus flowers look like?