Mammillaria zeilmanniana

A small clumping Mammillaria, widely sold as the 'rose pincushion', reaching about 12 cm tall. In the wild it is critically rare, known from a single narrow, moist canyon in Guanajuato with fewer than 250 plants. Grow it with bright light, a dry cool winter and a gritty mix, as for most central Mexican Mammillaria.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets 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

A narrow canyon with consistently high moisture, growing near water among rocks, unlike the open desert of many Mammillaria.

Elevation is not documented in the sources opened; the measured site at about 2300 m may not reflect the wild population.

MexicoGuanajuato

🔒 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

Grow Mammillaria zeilmanniana? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

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 2.5 licence, unmodified.