Frailea gracillima

A tiny, slender-stemmed cactus from rocky grasslands of southern Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, that often sets seed from flowers that never open. It grows in a humid climate with rain all year, so it takes more water than most cacti, but it needs sharp drainage and a cooler, drier 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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows in rock crevices and shallow soil on outcrops in the pampa and campos grasslands, often partly shaded by grasses. Habitat notes generalise from the genus and the measured sites.

Records span 33–468 m, median 265 m.

Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul)UruguayParaguay

🔒 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 Frailea

Frailea mammifera Frailea castanea Frailea cataphracta Frailea phaeodisca Frailea pumila Frailea pygmaea Frailea schilinzkyana Frailea chiquitana Frailea curvispina

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 4.0 licence, unmodified.