Aylostera heliosa

A tiny clustering high-Andean cactus from southern Bolivia with silvery comb-like spines and large orange flowers. It wants strong light, cool nights all year and a cold, completely dry winter, and it rots quickly on its own roots if kept wet and warm.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets 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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Rocky slopes and grassy puna-edge ground in the southern Bolivian Andes, growing in crevices and among tufts of grass that give some side shade. Profile built from the measured range plus general Aylostera habits; little species-specific habitat detail is published.

Recorded at about 2,000–3,600 m, median 2,400 m (few records carry elevation); most finds are in Tarija and Chuquisaca at the higher end.

BoliviaArgentina Northwest

🔒 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 2.5 licence, unmodified.