Oreocereus hempelianus

A low, clumping, densely spined Andean cactus of the dry western slopes of southern Peru and far northern Chile, mostly between about 2,500 and 4,000 m. It wants intense sun, a big day-night swing, summer water and a cool, bone-dry winter.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows on open rocky slopes and stony puna-edge scrub on the arid Pacific side of the Andes, fully exposed among low shrubs and grasses.

Records span 878 to 4,114 m with a median of 3,256 m; the lowest records are probably outliers or valley-floor points.

PeruChile North

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Oreocereus

Oreocereus celsianus Oreocereus leucotrichus Oreocereus trollii Oreocereus doelzianus Oreocereus pseudofossulatus Oreocereus ritteri Oreocereus tacnaensis

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its Public domain licence, unmodified.