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Species library › Coryphantha › Coryphantha pycnacantha
Succulents Well documented

Coryphantha pycnacantha

An endangered globular cactus of the central Mexican highlands, growing on deep lava soils between about 1300 and 3200 m. It needs strong sun, a summer-wet and winter-dry rhythm and cool to cold winter nights.

Coryphantha pycnacantha
Photo: Comisión Estatal de Biodiversidad del Estado de Hidalgo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open highland scrub and grassland on deep volcanic (lava) soils.

Recorded at 1283–3181 m, median 2296 m.

HidalgoPueblaTlaxcalaVeracruzMéxico StateOaxaca

🔒 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.