€15,90

Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis (Pfeiff.) D.R.Hunt 

🌱 Morphology
  A small Mammillaria with cylindrical, slender stems that branches abundantly from the base and forms dense colonies. The stems can reach about 10–13 cm in height, with conical tubercles up to 6 mm. The areoles feature 11–16 white, bristly radial spines, 3–8 mm long, and usually lack a central spine, although up to 2 may appear on some specimens. The closely clustered branches, covered in white spines, explain its popular name, "Caterpillar".

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Endemic to Mexico, mainly in Hidalgo and Querétaro, where it lives between 1200 and 1800 m in xerophilous scrubland and oak forests, frequently on rocky and limestone terrain. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Cactoideae, tribe Cacteae. In the taxonomy of Joël Lodé 2026, Mammillaria gracilis is treated as Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis; M. gracilis, M. fragilis, and M. gracilis var. pulchella appear as synonyms or forms within this taxon.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 8b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −8 ºC when kept dry and if specimens are well-acclimated. Its origin in mountainous areas allows it to withstand considerable cold, but in cultivation, the combination of low temperatures and damp substrate must be especially avoided.

☀️ Lighting
It requires abundant light and direct sun, with progressive acclimation. During active growth, an approximate DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended. Intense lighting keeps the stems compact and promotes dense, white spination.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During winter, it should be kept dry with good ventilation. In spring and summer, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry out completely before repeating. In late autumn, watering should be gradually reduced. In its habitat, it blooms mainly between December and February, but in cultivation, flowering can last for several months.

🌸 Flowering
Blooms after about 3 years, when it reaches sufficient maturity. It produces flowers up to 12 mm long, pale yellow, with a characteristic pink or reddish-brown central stripe. They appear in a small crown around the top of the stems and may repeat for several months in cultivation.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, is recommended, applied once a month during watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with substrate activated by mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

📏 Gourmet xerophyte in a 9x9 cm pot.

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

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