Melocactus albicephalus

A Turk's-cap cactus from interior Bahia, Brazil, known from very few wild records and often regarded as a natural hybrid. Treat it like other Bahian Melocactus: full sun, warmth all year, a gritty mineral mix and never cold nights.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets 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

Known only from a tiny area of northeastern Brazil, where Melocactus typically grow on rock outcrops and sandy or gravelly ground in caatinga and campo rupestre vegetation. Habitat detail is inferred from the genus.

The single recorded site sits at about 900 m on the Bahian plateau.

Brazil Northeast

🔒 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.