Mammillaria senilis

A high-elevation cactus of the Sierra Madre Occidental, covered in white spines, with large orange-red flowers. It grows at around 2,400 m where winter nights are near freezing and summer brings monsoon rain, and it rots easily if kept warm and wet.

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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows on rocky slopes and cliffs in high pine-oak country of the Sierra Madre Occidental, often in rock crevices.

Records span 1,410–3,250 m, median about 2,430 m.

DurangoSinaloaChihuahuaNayaritJaliscoZacatecas

🔒 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

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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-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.