Ariocarpus fissuratus ‘Godzilla’ Variegated (Specimen A)
Lot ARIO-FISS-GODVAR-01 1 of 1 the exact plant pictured
$1,100.00
- Plant: Ariocarpus fissuratus Godzilla Variegated (Specimen A)
- Cultivation: seed grown, with a strong root system
- Size: about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) across
- Listing: one-of-a-kind, the exact plant in the photographs
- Grown: cultivated in our greenhouse
In stock
- Flat $12 shipping anywhere in the United States, for one plant or several.
- Ships within 1 to 3 business days and usually arrives 2 to 5 business days later.
- All sales are final. If a plant arrives dead, email photos of the plant and packaging within a couple of days. Shipping and returns
- 237 plants sold
- Grown in Orange County, California
- Artificially propagated, never wild-collected
Description
Type: Seed grown · Size: about 3.5 cm (1.4 in) across · One-of-a-kind specimen
Ariocarpus fissuratus Godzilla Variegated is the variegated expression of the heavily fissured living rock cultivar, and this listing is for the exact 3.5 cm plant in the photographs. At rarecactus.com we grow our Ariocarpus from seed in the sharply draining mineral mix the genus demands, and this particular plant was imported from Japan, originally cultivated by Mr. Narita, a Japanese grower known for his Ariocarpus.
What makes Ariocarpus fissuratus Godzilla Variegated different
The Godzilla selection takes the shallow grooves of an ordinary Ariocarpus fissuratus and exaggerates them into a dense, brain-like maze of fissures that crowd the whole crown, the reptilian texture that gives the cultivar its name. Variegation adds a second layer: irregular sectors of the body carry less chlorophyll and turn cream, gold and coral orange against the grey-green tubercles, the colour breaks scattered unpredictably across the fissured surface. Because variegation is unstable and seed-borne, no two plants are marked the same way, and a well-coloured, balanced Godzilla is among the harder Ariocarpus to track down. Our Ariocarpus fissuratus specimen page sets out the botany of the species behind the selection. For the wider world of named selections, crests and variegates, see the Ariocarpus cultivars and variegates reference at ariocarpus.org.
Like every living rock, this plant grows from a thick tuberous taproot and presses flat to the ground, the habit that lets it vanish into the limestone through the dry season. The variegated tissue holds less chlorophyll than a plain plant, so it grows even slower and needs careful light to keep the pale sectors from scorching.
How we grow it
This Ariocarpus fissuratus Godzilla Variegated grows in a deep pot of sharply draining mineral mix weighted toward limestone and pumice, sized to the taproot. It takes bright light with shelter from the fiercest summer midday sun, a soaking only when the substrate has gone bone dry through the growing season, and a completely dry winter rest. Slow is the point: rushing a variegated plant with water or feed ruins the tight, sunken habit and can scorch the cream sectors. Our Ariocarpus care guide covers substrate, watering and the winter dormancy in full.
Flowering and growth
A settled plant flowers in autumn, pushing a satiny magenta bloom straight from the woolly crown over a few warm days. Growth is measured in millimetres a year, slower still on a variegated body, so a plant at this size already carries real age. New tubercles emerge from the centre and shoulder the older fissured ones outward, which deepens the crowded, sculpted relief and shifts the variegation pattern as the plant matures. Patience is rewarded; speed is not.
Choosing this plant
The variegated Godzilla worth keeping shows strong, well-distributed colour without so much pale tissue that the body cannot sustain itself, plus the dense, disordered fissuring and the flat, ground-hugging profile this specimen carries in the photographs. Because you are buying the exact plant pictured for sale, there is no guesswork about how it furrows or how it is marked. Every Ariocarpus in our greenhouse is seed grown, with a strong root system, never grafted to force size and never lifted from the wild, so it keeps the natural, slow proportions that grafted stock loses.
When your plant arrives
Your plant ships seed grown and well rooted, packed dry for transit. On arrival, pot it into a deep, sharply draining mineral mix sized to the taproot, settle it into bright indirect light, and withhold water for about fourteen days before the first cautious soak. Variegated plants resent a wet root run more than plain ones, so keep it on the dry side while it takes to the new pot.
Provenance and legality
This specimen was imported from Japan, where it was originally grown by Mr. Narita, and it is seed grown with no wild collection at any stage. Ariocarpus sits on CITES Appendix I, the strictest tier of international trade protection, so artificially propagated stock like this is the only lawful and ethical route to owning one. Browse the rest of the genus on the Ariocarpus encyclopedia hub.
Questions before you buy
What exactly arrives?
This plant. One-of-a-kind listings show the exact plant and sell once; the lot number under the title is its record, and the listing states its measured size.
How does it ship?
From our greenhouse in Orange County, California, within 1 to 3 business days, for a flat $12 anywhere in the United States. It usually arrives 2 to 5 business days later.
Is it legal to own?
Yes. Every plant we sell is artificially propagated, seed grown, with no wild collection at any stage. CITES rules apply to international trade, and we sell within the United States only, so no export permit is involved.
What if it arrives dead?
All sales are final, because each plant is a living one of a kind. If it arrives dead, take clear photos of the plant and the packaging within a couple of days of delivery and tell us. If anything else about the order is not right, say so and we will help where we can.
Growing Ariocarpus
Ariocarpus grow from a swollen taproot, and nearly every care decision protects it: strong light, a fast mineral mix, water only through the warm growing season, and a completely dry winter rest.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun
- Give it full sun or your brightest position. Shade cloth at 30 to 40 per cent through the hottest summer weeks stops bronzing on growth that has not hardened.
- Watering
- April to October only
- Soak, then let the mix dry out completely before watering again, April to October, with growth peaking in late summer. From November to March keep the plant bone dry.
- Soil
- 95% mineral
- About 95 per cent mineral (pumice, lava, granite grit, zeolite, limestone chip) plus 5 per cent worm castings. Hard tap water already supplies calcium; rainwater growers rely on the limestone.
- Cold tolerance
- Dry rest at 5–10°C
- Kept completely dry, plants ride out brief frost to about −5°C, but cold with wet soil rots the taproot. A dry 5 to 10°C winter rest is safest.
- Container
- Deep pot
- Use a deep pot for the fleshy taproot; unglazed terracotta helps in humid climates. Repot in spring, no more than every two to three years.
- Growth rate
- 10+ years to flower
- Very slow. Seedlings need two to three years to reach thumbnail width, and most species take ten years or more to flower from seed.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
Flat $12 shipping anywhere in the United States, for one plant or several. Orders ship within 1 to 3 business days and usually arrive 2 to 5 business days later. Every plant is packed by hand to travel safely.
Returns
Every plant we sell is alive, so all sales are final and we do not accept returns or exchanges. If a plant arrives dead, take clear photos of the plant and the packaging within a couple of days of delivery and email support@rarecactus.com. If anything else about your order is not right, tell us and we will help where we can.
