Astrophytum asterias

The star cactus: a flat, spineless, button-like cactus from lowland thorn scrub of the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and Tamaulipas and Nuevo León in Mexico. It is endangered in the wild but easy from seed; it wants strong light, hot summers with rain and a dry, cool winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Thorn scrub on gravelly or rocky ground, often sitting nearly flush with the soil among grasses and small shrubs that give it partial shade.

Most records are lowland, median 212 m; a few records above 2,000 m are outside the known range.

Mexico (Tamaulipas)Mexico (Nuevo León)Texas

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Astrophytum

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.