The Myrtillocactus Geometrizans Forma Cristata is commonly known as the Dinosaur Back Plant, and Crested Blue Candle, is a blue-green candelabra succulent plant with thick and waxy branches, it has a unique crested appearance that makes it a great choice for indoor decoration. They are native to southern Mexico, but now they are grown worldwide as an indoor succulent plant.
They grow small cream-colored flowers during the summer season, they also grow sweet plum-like fruit. In the moderate cold, to moderately warm temperatures and full sun, they show an optimized growth. Dinosaur Back Plant can grow up to 1.8 meters in height that is why they require a bigger pot.
Watering Requirements
Dinosaur Back Plant is succulent and has similar watering needs as other succulent plants, the Dinosaur Back Plant can survive the drought conditions, but overwatering can kill this plant. It is advised to follow the “Soak and Dry” method while watering the Dinosaur Back Plant. In this, first, you let the potting soil completely dry and then provide it enough water.
Follow the instructions below for proper watering:
- You can check if the potting soil is dry or not by dipping your finger in the soil to check for moisture or by checking the weight of the pot.
- If the pot is heavy, it means it has some water left inside it, it has a normal weight, which means you can water it as it completely dry.
- Water your plant sparingly and make sure that water reaches the bottom of the soil in the pot, after that stop watering.
- The watering schedule can be prepared according to seasonal and climate needs. Mostly it requires water once every 10 to 12 days.
Lighting and Temperature needs
Like the other succulents, Dinosaur Back Plant requires plenty of light for proper growth. They need full sun to partial sun during the winter and partial sun to partial shade during the hot days of summer. If you are growing them indoors, it is better to place them in a window that faces east or a place that gets plenty of light.
The Dinosaur Back Plant needs a little warm temperature to thrive. They are not cold hardy and cannot survive the frost or cold temperatures for the long term. The minimum temperature that they can survive is 30° F (-1.1° C). If you are planting them in a cold region then you might have to protect them from frost and extremely cold temperatures otherwise it will not survive.
Soil Needs
The Dinosaur Back Plant requires a porous and quick-draining soil. A soil that has more sand in it to help the drainage and proper flow of the water. This plant has very delicate roots that can rot due to overwatering, and if the soil traps water inside it.
This type of soil contains pumice, perlite, sand, house plant fertilizer, natural fertilizer, and some small rocks to make it porous. This type of soil is used for almost all the succulent plants.
Fertilizer Needs
Fertilizer is important for the proper growth of your Dinosaur Back Plant in the pot. This plant likes to be grown in the outdoor environment where it can get full sunlight and nutrients from the soil, but when you plant it inside a planter, the soil in the planter has limited nutrients that deplete quickly.
This can slow the growth of your plant, to boost its growth you can use the house plant fertilizer. You can add this fertilizer into the soil of the pot, or you can create a mixture of water and fertilizer, and then keep feeding this mixture to your plant once every 35 to 40 days. Try not to overfeed your plant with the fertilizer as they can harm the plant as well.
How to Repot Myrtillocactus Geometrizans Forma Cristata (Dinosaur Back Plant)
This plant can grow large (6 feet or 1.8 meters) and it can outgrow the pot it already is in quickly. when this happens you need to repot your Dinosaur Back Plant. Mostly it is done once every year, the start of the summer is considered the best time to repot your plant.
First, you need to fill the new and bigger pot with the potting soil, then carefully uproot and transfer your plant from one pot to another. then you need to provide it some water and leave it under the sun for a few days.
How to Propagate Myrtillocactus Geometrizans Forma Cristata (Dinosaur Back Plant)
The Dinosaur Back Plant can easily be propagated with the help of cuttings from the stem and branches of the mature plant. First, you need a sterile sharp knife to take cuttings, then you need to let these cuttings to dry out the latex in them.
After that, you can transfer these cuttings to a new pot with porous soil. Now, just water it and place it under the full sun for a few days. They will take a few days to show signs of growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How do you take care of a Dinosaur Back Plant?
Answer: To take care of your Blue Candle Cactus you need to provide it full sun to partial sun depending upon the season, proper watering, porous and quick-draining soil, and proper use of fertilizer.
Question: Is the Dinosaur Back Plant edible?
Answer: Yes, the Dinosaur Back Plant grows small fruits that are edible, they give a sweet taste.
Question: How often should you water the Dinosaur Back Plant?
Answer: You should only water your plant when the potting soil is completely dry, watering also depends on the weather, climate geographical location, in cold regions it requires less watering and in hot regions, it requires more frequent watering. You can water it once every 10 to 12 days.
Question: What is the minimum temperature for the Dinosaur Back Plant?
Answer: The minimum temperature limit for growing the Dinosaur Back Plant is 30° F (-1.1° C), but they grow well in moderately cold and moderately warm environments.
