Melocactus matanzanus

A small Turk's cap cactus from the low coastal hills of north-central Cuba, valued for flowering young and its dense orange-red cephalium. It needs constant warmth, strong sun and a fast-draining mineral mix, and is much less tolerant of cold than most cacti.

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 in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows in open, sunny coastal scrub on rocky low hills in Matanzas province; detailed habitat data for this species are sparse, so this is based on its location and the genus.

Few records carry an elevation; it is a lowland plant of low coastal hills, likely below about 200 m.

Cuba

🔒 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.