Species library › Mammillaria › Mammillaria sphaerica
Succulents Well documented

Mammillaria sphaerica

A low, clump-forming cactus of south-east Texas and north-east Mexico, with soft pale green globular heads about 5 cm across and large pale yellow summer flowers. Grow it in full sun with a hot, moderately watered summer and a cool, dry winter.

Mammillaria sphaerica
Photo: Leonora Enking from West Sussex, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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

Scattered patches in thorn scrub and open dry ground on the coastal plain and foothills of Tamaulipas, Nuevo León and San Luis Potosí, extending into south Texas.

Literature gives up to about 1000 m; the records span 95–2127 m with a median of 465 m.

TamaulipasNuevo LeónSan Luis PotosíTexas

🔒 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-SA 2.0 licence, unmodified.