Cochemiea thornberi

A clump-forming, slender-stemmed pincushion cactus (formerly Mammillaria thornberi) of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona and Sonora. In the wild it shelters under nurse shrubs, so it wants strong light that is not quite full sun, a hot summer with monsoon water, and a dry, mild winter.

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 in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in Sonoran desert scrub on flats and gentle slopes, typically under the canopy of nurse shrubs such as Ambrosia, which shade it and buffer temperature extremes.

Recorded from near sea level to about 850 m, mostly at 500-850 m in Arizona.

Southern ArizonaSonora

🔒 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.