Sign in Start free
Species library › Melocactus › Melocactus deinacanthus
Succulents Partly documented

Melocactus deinacanthus

Melocactus deinacanthus is a rare, heavily spined Turk's-cap cactus endemic to rocky outcrops in the dry interior of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. It needs strong sun, real heat all year and very fast drainage; like other Melocactus it dislikes cold, so never give it a cool winter.

Melocactus deinacanthus
Photo: Consultaplantas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets 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 among rocks in open, seasonally dry caatinga country, in full sun on shallow mineral soil.

Records give 0 m, which is a missing value; the recorded site sits in an inland area around 500 m.

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

Grow Melocactus deinacanthus? 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 Melocactus

Melocactus curvispinus Melocactus macracanthos Melocactus azureus Melocactus bahiensis Melocactus bellavistensis Melocactus caroli-linnaei Melocactus ernestii Melocactus levitestatus Melocactus matanzanus Melocactus violaceus Melocactus conoideus Melocactus intortus All 53 →

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.