Epithelantha ilariae

A recently described button cactus from the Chihuahuan Desert of Coahuila and Nuevo León, a tiny white-spined globe like other Epithelantha. It needs intense light, a lean limestone mix and very cautious watering, as it rots quickly if wet.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Like the rest of the genus it grows in cracks and gravel on limestone hills and ridges in open desert scrub, fully exposed.

Measured sites lie at about 540-990 m; few records carry their own elevation.

Mexico Northeast

🔒 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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More Epithelantha

Epithelantha bokei Epithelantha greggii Epithelantha pachyrhiza Epithelantha cryptica Epithelantha micromeris Epithelantha polycephala Epithelantha potosina Epithelantha pulchra Epithelantha spinosior

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.