Mammillaria nivosa
woolly nipple cactus
Family Cactaceae
IUCN: Least concern Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
About
Mammillaria nivosa, the woolly nipple cactus, is a Caribbean cactus with long, overlapping spines and yellow flowers.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to pets, but the sharp spines can cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Listed as non-toxic to humans, but the sharp spines can cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Full sun or bright direct light, with some afternoon shade in hot weather. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Let the soil dry out completely between waterings; stop watering while dormant in winter. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- Grows best at about 21–27 °C (70–80 °F); prefers a cool winter rest at 7–13 °C (45–55 °F). General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Well-drained cactus mix with added grit or coarse sand. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Seed, or by dividing offsets (pups). General guidance for the genus
- Growth rate
- Slow. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
A radially symmetrical cactus up to 25 cm tall. Spines up to about 38 mm long often overlap, probably deterring large animals. Yellow flowers are about 15 mm long.
Distribution & habitat
Native to the Caribbean.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Grows best at about 21–27 °C (70–80 °F); prefers a cool winter rest at 7–13 °C (45–55 °F).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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