Lobivia delivered with white spineless growth point

[MadridPeter]

Can anyone suggest what might of happened? Burn? The growth point is almost completely white and spineless..no sign of pests or infection

Cactus was ordered from Germany and spent 1 week and 3 days in the post

[CactusMad]

Hi,can you please post a picture?

[MadridPeter]

2 pics for you all to see what I mean

[SoilSifter]

Did you find loose spines in the box as if they fell off during shipping? I don't know a lot about Lobivia plants but I've seen similar loss of color on other cacti and succulents. It will probably be OK and the color will come back if you put it in a place with bright light and give it some time. I'm not sure if the plant's color is off because it was in the dark package for too long or if the package was too hot. Hopefully the center of the growth point is OK. Even if the center isn't OK I expect the color will return and the plant will start pupping.

[MadridPeter]

I didn't find any spines in the box just a little gravel and there were two cacti in the box..the other cactus was a small echinopsis and it was fine so I potted it up

Anyway hopefully the lobivia will recover pigment and normal spine growth

If anyone else can tell me more that would be great

[iann]

Unless you bought a variegated plant ( ) then it is quite badly damaged. I'm not convinced it will recover the lost colour, but it might eventually grow out of it. Or it might not.

[MadridPeter]

Pretty sure I didn't order a variegated plant..rest of stem has no discolouration

When you say it is quite badly damaged what could have caused the damage?? Chemicals or sun..something like that?

Hope it grows out of the damage or at least creates offsets!!

[SoilSifter]

Did you try contacting someone at the nursery and ask what happened? It is strange that the spines are absent.

[jfabiao]

It's etiolation. The plant kept growing while in transit (are you sure it was only 10 days?) but since it had no light it produced no chlorophyll and no spines.

[MadridPeter]

So in that case it can grow out of the damage but the growth will be abnormal

So probably have to hope for offsets/pups

Thanks everyone!! Bit disappointed because of this damage and also because it's supposed to be a lobivia grandiflora v herzogii and I don't think it is

[jfabiao]

It will grow fine from now on, but there will always be a "belt" of discoloured, spineless skin. Be careful when reintroducing the plant to sunlight, for that part will be very tender and easily scorched.

[MadridPeter]

Thanks a millon for the information it saved me a lot of time searching the internet and worrying and I'm not sure the guy in the German garden centre speaks English

I put it close to the window but it will still get a few hours of direct sun so hopefully the Spanish sun wont scorch it!!!! I think tomorrow I will put it a bit further away from direct sun

[MadridPeter]

After a couple of days in the window the growth point has become greener and spines are forming!!!!! Great! Let's see how well it recovers ..go little fella go!!

[greenknight]

Sounds good. Lobivia/Echinopsis are very resilient plants, I wouldn't be surprised if it recovers completely.