Mammillaria nivosa

The woolly nipple cactus of the Caribbean: a clustering Mammillaria with dense white wool between the tubercles and yellow flowers, growing on sun-baked coastal limestone and rocks a few metres above the sea. It wants constant warmth, full sun and very sharp drainage, and is less tolerant of cold than most Mammillaria.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-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

By its range, exposed coastal rocks, limestone ledges and scrub close to the shore, in full sun and in the reach of salt spray.

Few records carry an elevation; the sites lie between sea level and about 190 m.

Antigua and BarbudaSaint MartinSaint BarthélemyPuerto RicoBahamasTurks and CaicosLeeward Islands

🔒 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 Mammillaria

Mammillaria luethyi Mammillaria prolifera Mammillaria albilanata Mammillaria erythrosperma Mammillaria spinosissima Mammillaria voburnensis Mammillaria glassii Mammillaria vetula Mammillaria herrerae Mammillaria mercadensis Mammillaria albiflora Mammillaria bombycina All 145 →

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.