Feather Cactus

Origin

Central Maxico

Family

Cactaceae

Description

Mammillaria plumosa is a clumping plants that forms low, dense mounds sometime up to 40 cm wide entirely covered by the mass of white feathery spines.

It has depressed globose or somewhat elongate, without latex, spherical, 4- 7 cm high and in diameter. Light green, but appearing white because of the dense spines. Tubercles are small, flattened, 2-4 mm long, somewhat woolly in their axil. The spines in this specie have very long hairs along the spine-axis arranged as are the segments of a bird's feather and that furnish an epidermal protection against the blasting sun of the desert.

Flowers are whitish yellow, up to 3-15 mm long (occasionally with pink midstrips), with a strong sweet scent.

Environment

Mammillaria species like most cacti they're drought tolerant and need very little care and attention to grow well . Plenty of sunshine will keep this cacti more than happy. Provide bright, even light to encourage tight growth and flowering. Some shade during a hot summers day can be helpful to prevent sunburn.

Allow the soil mix to become nearly dry between watering, but then water thoroughly. Suspend watering in the winter, but mist occasionally. Not enough sunlight and over-watering are common mistakes.

Use pot with good drainage and a very porous potting media.

Feed every 4 weeks with a high potassium fertiliser during summer

Landscape Uses

Suited for window sill and dish gardens