Mammillaria Beneckei

Family

cactaceae

Native

Southern Mexico in Michoacan, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Colima, Jalisco, Mexico, Oaxaca, and Guerrero.

Description

Mammillaria beneckei is a variable species, usually offsetting and not very large. It has white radial spines and brown hooked centrals. Cactus solitary at first, later forming large clumps to 50 cm or more wide.
The flowers open at night and close permanently around noon.

Environment

Very sensitive to low temperatures and needs heat in winter. It likes very porous standard neutral cactus mix soil.
Use pot with good drainage.
It should be watered generously during the growing season, but do not overwater (Rot prone), keep dry in winter. Water it less than average if in bigger pots, small pots preferred.
Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer.

Landscape Uses

It is used as an ornamental, It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small.