🌱 Morphology
Soft-bodied cactus, initially solitary, although it can form clumps with age. The stem is globose and slightly depressed at the apex, 4–10 cm in diameter and up to 7 cm tall. The tubercles are conical to cylindrical, relatively soft, and the axils remain naked. It features an extraordinary covering of 60–80 fine, hair-like white radial spines, up to 1.5 cm long, which almost completely hide the body. Among them appear 1–6 central spines, reddish, brown, or yellow, usually with one especially characteristic hooked lower spine.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
It is endemic to northern Mexico, mainly Durango, with populations in the area of Nazas and Mina de Navidad. It grows at approximately 1300 to 1700 m, on volcanic rocky outcrops of grassy summits in semi-desert environments. The species suffered a severe historical decline after episodes of extreme cold and illegal extraction, so it requires special conservation attention.

Family Cactaceae · Subfamily Cactoideae · Tribe Cacteae

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −4 ºC for short periods and with the substrate completely dry. Although some specimens may withstand lower drops, it is recommended to use this value as a prudent reference for cultivation in Spain.

☀️ Lighting
Full sun or very intense lighting is recommended, reaching an approximate PAR DLI of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹. The transition from shaded places must be done progressively to avoid burns. Abundant lighting also promotes the formation of dense spines and a spectacular flowering.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During active growth, it is recommended to water deeply and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In autumn, waterings are gradually reduced until it is kept dry during the winter. It is a species sensitive to excess humidity, and it is advisable to avoid damaging its tubercles and roots during repotting.

🌸 Flowering
Its main spectacle is the deep pink, magenta, or purple-red, slightly scented, bell-shaped to funnel-shaped flowers, which can reach 4 cm in length and up to 7 cm in diameter, extraordinarily large for the genus. The main flowering occurs between May and July, although some sources extend the period until September. In the first flowerings, they can form a complete crown around the apex. In cultivation, flowering has been documented from approximately 2 years from seed under favorable conditions. It can produce successive waves of flowers during the warm season.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended once a month along with watering. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgor, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.

🪴 Pot
9x9 cm gourmet black pot

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