Gyeonggi Province Agricultural Research Institute Introduces Two New High-Value Cactus Varieties of Astrophytum

The Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services has developed two new cactus Astrophytum varieties: 'Cookie Ball' and 'Hidden Star'. According to the agricultural research center, Astrophytum is a cactus variety that attracts popularity due to its unique helmet-like shape. However, it has a slow growth rate and is difficult to propagate, making it rare and expensive. The agricultural research center began developing new Astrophytum varieties in 2010 in response to consumer trends seeking rare and distinctive plants, and to strengthen domestic and international competitiveness amid the expanding companion plant market. In 2018, they first released the Astrophytum variety 'Snow Ball', and since then have developed a total of 7 varieties, distributing 85,000 plants to farmers. The 'Cookie Ball' developed this year is characterized by a greenish-brown base with small white hairs evenly formed. Unlike typical Astrophytum varieties that rarely produce offshoots, 'Cookie ...