Melocactus levitestatus

A Turk's cap cactus from the São Francisco valley of Bahia and Minas Gerais, typically on limestone outcrops in dry forest and caatinga. It takes intense heat and a long, very dry winter, but not cold.

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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Exposed limestone rock and stony ground within seasonally dry forest, caatinga and cerrado margins. Built from the measured sites and the genus, as little species-specific literature exists.

Recorded at about 450–850 m (median 600 m).

Brazil NortheastBrazil SoutheastBrazil West-Central

🔒 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.