Mammillaria polythele

A columnar, mostly solitary Mammillaria from the dry highlands of central Mexico, typically around 1,800 to 2,250 m in Hidalgo, Querétaro and Guanajuato. It wants full sun, a dry and cool winter and a warm summer with rain.

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

Semi-arid scrub and rocky slopes in the central Mexican highlands, growing in the open among shrubs and rocks; inferred from the record sites and typical highland Mammillaria habitat.

Records span 735 to 2,560 m, median 1,951 m.

HidalgoQuerétaroGuanajuatoMexico

🔒 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.