PERUVIAN TORCH (ECHINOPSIS PERUVIANA)

The Peruvian Torch (Echinopsis peruviana) cactus may be found in Peru and Ecuador’s Andes. Its natural habitat is mountain desert areas at elevations ranging from 2000 to 3000 meters above sea level. It is a fast-growing columnar species with the well-studied hallucinogenic alkaloid mescaline and other alkaloids.

The plant has a bluish-green colour with 6-9 widely rounded ribs, growing to a height of 3-6 metres and a diameter of 8-18cm. The up to 4cm long spines are found in clusters of 6-8 at the nodes, which are uniformly distributed throughout the ribs with up to 2.5cm spacing.

From 900 BC to 200 BC, pre-Inca monks utilised this mescaline cactus to create a mixture known as “cimora,” “achuma,” or “huachuma,” which was subsequently employed in their medical and religious rites.

MESCALINE

The chemical name for mescaline is 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine. It is a very strong mind-altering drug that can cause psychedelic effects, hallucinations, and visionary experiences, like feeling one with nature and being euphoric at the same time.

Just 0.3-0.4 gramme of pure mescaline is enough to untether your awareness from reality, but that only applies to PURE mescaline, and you’ll have to eat a lot of mescaline cactus to get there. But first, the sadness, then the delight! Echinopsis peruviana meat will undoubtedly cause you to eat backwards. According to traditional shamans, this procedure is necessary to cleanse the body of the final remains of what binds your soul to the body and should be viewed positively.

Prepare for this by avoiding eating for at least 6 hours before the trip. This is the greatest way to shorten the duration of the initial “positive” experience, and it has two advantages: you will be able to withstand sickness for a longer period of time, resulting in improved absorption of the psychoactive mixture.

CULTIVATING THE PERUVIAN TORCH (ECHINOPSIS PERUVIANA)

Simply insert the cutting deep enough to stand on its own in special cactus soil with 25% washed sand and 35% perlite to produce your own Peruvian Torch clone; houseplant soil is not suitable for cacti and their nutritional needs. The soil should drain effectively and retain enough moisture to last at least a week without drying out. Rooting hormone is ineffective! It may damage plant tissue and encourage bacterial or fungal decay.

Allow the cactus to adjust to its new surroundings and grow a new root system on its own for 2-3 weeks before watering it. For at least 4 weeks, keep the newly planted clone away from heat and intense sunshine, particularly at midday. Once it has settled, you may help it a lot by simulating its natural environment: 5 hours of direct sunshine followed by many hours of indirect light. It does not need much water since it is a desert plant.

When selecting a pot, look for one with a pierced bottom to allow for proper drainage. Fill a shallow tray halfway with water and place the pot in it. Water the soil once a week in the spring and fall, but stop totally or restrict it to once every 2-3 weeks in the winter. Water the plant 3-5 times each week throughout the summer.

NAME CHANGE: FROM TRICHOCEREUS TO ECHINOPSIS

Trichocereus peruvianus was the now-outdated scientific name of the Peruvian Torch until a new taxonomy for cacti was implemented, and this cactus was assigned to the Echinopsis cactus family. Echinopsis peruviana is the most recent accurate name.