Echinopsis eyriesii

Echinopsis eyriesii, also called the ball flower, queen of the forest or queen's navel, is a cactus with short, spherical or cylindrical stems that reach 10 to 15 cm in diameter and up to 30 cm in height.

It has 11 to 18 ribs with white to ochre areoles, from which 12 to 15 blackish spines of about 7 mm grow. Its funnel-shaped flowers are white (sometimes tinged with pink) and can measure 20 to 25 cm in length.

It is native to Corrientes and Misiones in Argentina, and to Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina in Brazil. A very common species, thanks to how easy it is to grow it has spread as an ornamental plant all over the world.

Its name honours the French gardener and cactus specialist Alexander Eyries.

In 2010, the German Cactus Society chose it as “cactus of the year”, a recognition of how popular and appreciated this species is among collectors.