€7,95

Mammillaria bombycina Quehl 

🌱 Morphology
   Initially globose cactus that becomes cylindrical with age and produces numerous offsets, forming large compact colonies. Each stem can reach about 20 cm in height and 6 cm in diameter. The tubercles, arranged in 11–18 spiral rows, are short and compact, with the axils covered in abundant white wool and bristles. It has 30–40 fine white radial spines arranged in combs, along with 2–4 longer central spines, generally reddish or amber, the lowest of which is distinctive for its hooked shape and for reaching up to 2 cm. The overall effect is an extraordinarily silky appearance.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Endemic to the northeast of Jalisco and southwest of Aguascalientes, Mexico, where it grows at approximately 2,340 to 2,600 m above sea level. It inhabits mountainous areas, especially Quercus forests, on steep slopes, in leaf litter and occasionally on rock faces. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily and Cacteae tribe. The species is considered Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
Tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −5 ºC when dry and when specimens are well acclimatized. In pots, greater caution is recommended when cold is accompanied by moisture.

☀️ Lighting
Needs plenty of light and several hours of direct sun, with gradual acclimatization. During active growth, a DLI of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended. Abundant light keeps the stems compact and enhances the contrast between the white spines and the reddish central spines.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the cold months, it is kept practically dry and well ventilated. Watering is resumed in spring and summer, applying water deeply and infrequently and allowing the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. It is especially important to avoid excess moisture, as the roots are sensitive to rot.

🌸 Flowering
May flower from about 2–4 years after sowing in favorable conditions. It produces carmine pink to deep pink flowers, approximately 1.5 cm in size, forming circular crowns around the top of the stems. Flowering begins in spring and can continue for several weeks, also extending into summer when grown. It is especially interesting for producing several complete rings of flowers in a single season, so it can be considered to have successive flowering during the growing season.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgidity, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Rebloom earlier with Desert CHOICE Flowering.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

📏 The sizes of our xerophytes from the basic collection are as follows:

S -> 9cm x 9cm

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

L->16cm x 16 cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these may also vary slightly because it is a living thing! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.

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