Species library › Mammillaria › Mammillaria surculosa
Succulents Well documented

Mammillaria surculosa

A small, clumping cactus from north-eastern Mexico (San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas area) with lemon-yellow spring flowers and hooked central spines. It is endangered in the wild but easy in cultivation if kept dry and cool in winter and in strong light.

Mammillaria surculosa
Photo: Финитор, photo & selection: canonic Yuri Khanon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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 in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in isolated patches of upland scrub and grassland at about 950–1200 m, on rocky, well-drained ground among grasses and shrubs.

Records at 1039–1684 m, median about 1200 m; Wikipedia gives 950–1200 m.

MexicoSan Luis PotosíTamaulipas

🔒 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.