Kathleen aka Verne’s Fastest aka Short Spine Peru

I first bought this clone from Verne with the name Fastest attached to it. One of a few of Verne’s cactus plants that did not come from Cactus Kate, Verne said Fastest came from his friend Norm, who found the plant growing near Watsonville, CA. 

In later years Verne stopped calling this clone Fastest and started calling it ‘short spine peru’, so it is also known under that name.

Looking through some of Verne’s old documents in Spring 2026, I found an email giving Verne directions to the plant he called Fastest. I immediately recognized it as directions to the plant I know as Kathleen. Long suspected, it is now confirmed Fastest and Kathleen are the same.  

(Accessioned as JS303 and JS400 and JS495 and JS500 here at Cactus Affinity based on different acquisitions but all same same.)

Our Kathleen aka Fastest plants are grown outdoors in Chico, California planted directly in the ground. They are grown without chemical inputs, grafting, or forced reproduction. The cactuses have reached a mature size and are propagated carefully to ensure they continue to flower each year.