This cactus hardly grows! Maybe I don't feed or water it enough, but it seems that it looks the same all the time. I would love to see it looking like this, which might take many years with his speed. If I, or the cactus is still alive.
But it blooms almost all year round. Maybe that's why it grows so slow, puts too much energy into flowers...
I took those photos this morning (they are still arm). It is mid December and she is blooming.
Cause why the hell not?
Mammillaria gracilis Arizona Snowcap
This is not a cactus that you will find anywhere in nature. It is a cultivar of a Mammillaria Gracilis which is similar in overall shape and size, but the spines are different.
It looks all cute and nice, but it is tough little one. It can handle and likes lots of sun and I keep it in a quite sunny spot all year round. In winter it can also withstand temperatures below 0 degrees. It must be kept completely dry though, other wise it will rot and die, like any other cactus.
Propagation is super easy though cuttings. With time (and I hope my one will do it soon) they will produce multiple little offshoots that can be easily detached and planted separately. This is how I got my one.
There is one more bud on my one to go. The other thing on the left side of the bud is a spent flower.
I never got any seed pods on this one...
The spines are completely harmless. They might look sharp, but they are super short and dense and cant do any damage.
That fluff on top is as soft as it looks :)
Now lastly a little warning and a request.
This cactus is quite popular and it looks very attractive with its pure white spines. But some nurseries (assholes) like to colour those spines turning them into some neon fest. Please do not buy those. If less people buy it - they will have no more reason to do it.
Also, they will not grow like that. All the spines will grow normally, so it is not like you will have the cactus in this colour forever.
Source of the image that pains me
My other blooming cacti:
Click on the image to view full post.
Chamaecereus hybrid | Sulcorebutia Canigueralii | Mammillaria camptotricha | Mammillaria Glassii |
Gymnocalycium baldianum | Mediolobivia mudanensis | Lobivia Arachnacantha | Rebutia hybrid |
Mammillaria Bombycina | Mammillaria Gracilis Snowcap | Mammillaria haageana | Mammillaria backebergiana |
Chamaecereus silvestrii | Mammillaria prolifera | Rebutia Fabrisii var. Aureiflora | Lobivia Wrightiana |
Aylostera Flavistyla FR756 | Parodia concinna | Mammillaria Copper King | Gymnocalycium Bruchii |
Mammillaria backebergiana | Gymnocalycium damsii | Echinopsis subdenudata | Rhipsalis pilocarpa |
Mammillaria Prolifera | Lobivia arachnacantha v. vallegrandensis | Mediolobivia atrovirens | Mammillaria magnimamma |
Sulcorebutia langerii | Sulcorebutia frankiana | Chamaelobivia no ID | Rebutia Albiflora |
Mediolobivia atrovirens var. ritteri | Gymnocalycium damsii var. tucavocense | Notocactus Ottonis | Gymnocalycium Friedrichii |
Turbinicarpus Viereckii | Rebutia neocumingii | Notocactus Rubrigemmatus | Lobivia no ID |
Sulcorebutia albissima | Lobivia arachnacantha II | Notocactus mueller-melchersii | Mammillaria Prolifera |
Aylostera heliosa var. condorensis | Frailea pumila | Lobivia arachnacantha | Lobivia no ID |
»«
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos and text are my own.