Description

☀️ Light
Full, Blazing Sun. This cactus lives for the Maltese summer. It needs at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight to maintain its signature “ear” shape. If it’s kept in a dark hallway, the new pads will grow long, thin, and weak (a process called etiolation).

💧 Watering
Very Low. In the ground, it survives on rainfall alone.
In Pots: Water only when the soil is 100% dry. In winter (November to March), you can practically ignore it, watering once a month is plenty.
The Danger: Standing water. If the base of the “ears” turns brown and mushy, it’s rotting from overwatering.

🍃 Foliage / Growth
It doesn’t have traditional long spines. Instead, it has glochids—tiny, polka-dot clusters of hair-like barbs. It grows in segments (pads) and can eventually reach about 40–60 cm in height, forming a dense, shrubby clump.

🪴 Potting Mix
Super Gritty. Use a specific “Cactus and Succulent” mix. In Malta, it helps to add extra pumice or gravel to ensure the water flashes through the pot instantly. It loves the alkaline, limestone-rich environment of our islands.

🌿 Fertilizer
Feed once a month during the spring and summer with a high-potassium “Cactus Food.” This encourages the plant to stay “plump” and occasionally produce small, pale yellow flowers.

⚠️ Pet & Human Safety
The “Invisible” Danger. While not chemically toxic, those “fuzzy” dots are made of thousands of microscopic hooks. If a cat or dog (or a curious human) touches them, the barbs lodge into the skin and are incredibly difficult to see or remove.
Pro-Tip: If you get these in your skin, use sticky tape or a layer of white glue (let it dry, then peel) to pull them out.

💡 Simple Tip: “The Tongs Technique”
Never handle this plant with bare hands—and honestly, even “thorn-proof” gloves often get covered in the tiny barbs, making the gloves unusable. When repotting your Bunny Ears in Malta, use kitchen tongs or a thick wad of folded newspaper to move the plant.

*Pictures shown may vary from actual product due to the live nature of the items. Some items may be out of stock for various reasons, we will issue a refund or offer alternatives should that be the case.
The Price is per one individual plant.