Low, furry, clumping Mammillaria from dry northeastern Mexico with white or pink flowers. A dry growing plant; provide excellent drainage and do not overwater. Avoid deep pots. Provide strong light; most pronounced plumage in full sun. Water the soil, not the plant, so that water does not accumulate under the feathery spines and cause complications. Easy to propagate by division, but you have to do it with care as there may be considerable tap roots, and broken stems are prone to rot. A great looking, fast growing, low-care plant for dry, exposed locations and a reliable (if sometimes a bit shy) bloomer. From Coahuila and Nuevo León.
Generally solitary cactus (sometimes branching) with stems to 20 inches tall and about 2.5 inches in diameter. 12-15 straight central spines (variable), 20-25 radial spines, sometimes with wool and bristles in the axils. Purplish pink flowers, green to pinkish fruit.
Small, spiny, usually clustering globose cactus with purplish red to pink flowers from north-central or northeastern Mexico. Extremely variable. Some plants in cultivation are solitary and tend to grow larger stems. 1-4 central spines, reddish or white with reddish tips. Radial spines are fine and hairlike, and are sometimes missing. Red fruit. From Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, and Querétaro.
A deceptively fluffy cactus, whose fuzzy spines obscure hooks. Easy to get to bloom even at a small size (about an inch or less/>2 ish cm). Likes mostly mineral soil, moderate to full sun. Clumps when potted.
Distinctive low, clumping cactus from central Mexico with cylindrical stems. Relatively common in cultivation. Various named and unnamed cultivars are available, but the most common forms locally have creamy yellow to orange-brown spines and whitish flowers. A version with red spines and flowers also exists. Large mature clumps can be quite striking. The crested form of this plant (so-called brain cactus) can be very impressive in old age.
Spiny, low, clumping, whitish cactus from northeastern Mexico with pink to red flowers and red fruit. Stems grow to about 6-8 inches tall and are about 3 inches wide. 2-6 straight or somewhat curved central spines, 16-20 radial spines, axils with wool and bristles. Central spines may be quite variable in length.
This common green cactus has one inch-long spine per areole (sometimes more), with abundant pink flowers in crowns near the tips in winter. Stems reach 3 inches in diameter and grow a few inches tall. There are versions of this plant with more than one spine, presumably reversions to a spinier form. This cultivar does not resemble plants found in habitat, because it lacks the dozens of spines that are normal for the species.
Prolifically clumping low, spiny cactus with small stems, creamy white to pinkish yellow flowers, and bright red fruit. A widespread, variable species. Stems are dark green to blue-green. 5-12 central spines, 25-40 radial spines (which are sometimes hard to tell apart). Found in southern Texas, northeastern Mexico (south to Querétaro), and the Caribbean. Relatively common and well-behaved in cultivation. Easy to propagate from offsets, which are easy to remove. Clumps may not survive shipping intact.
Spiny white snowball of a cactus from northeastern Mexico with white or pink flowers. Solitary or often clustering. Stems may grow to 2.5-5.5 inches in diameter and up to 12 inches tall. They are blue-green but obscured by many white spines (8-12 centrals, up to 120 radials). Flowers are pink or white.
A very spiny, relatively small short-cylindrical cactus. Somewhat slower growing than many of its more popular relatives.
