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Species library › Cylindropuntia › Cylindropuntia tunicata
Succulents Well documented

Cylindropuntia tunicata

A low, shrubby cholla with joints covered in papery-sheathed spines that detach at a touch, native to the Chihuahuan Desert and central Mexican plateau and invasive in Australia and South America. It is easy in full sun and a dry winter but must be handled with tongs.

Cylindropuntia tunicata
Photo: Philip Precey, CC0, 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 desert scrub, grassland and disturbed ground on the Mexican plateau, fully exposed.

Records from 1,265 to 2,750 m, median about 2,000 m.

Mexico CentralMexico GulfMexico NortheastMexico SouthwestTexas

🔒 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 CC0 licence, unmodified.