Astrophytum caput-medusae

A critically endangered Astrophytum from Nuevo León with no ribs, just a cluster of long finger-like tubercles above a big tuberous root. Grow it hot and bright in a very mineral mix, water in the warm months and keep it dry and cooler in winter; the tuberous root rots easily, so many collectors grow it grafted.

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

Known from very few sites in arid lowland thornscrub of Nuevo León, where it grows on flat, fine-grained ground, often in the partial shade of shrubs; specific habitat detail is thin.

Few elevation records; the only measured site sits at 2313 m, which is higher than the lowland thornscrub the species is reported from.

MexicoNuevo León

🔒 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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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.