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Species library › Melocactus › Melocactus pedernalensis
Succulents Partly documented

Melocactus pedernalensis

Melocactus pedernalensis is a Turk's-cap cactus of hot, sunny coastal scrub near Pedernales on the Dominican Republic–Haiti border. It needs heat all year, full sun and a gritty, alkaline mix; it is not a plant for cool winters.

Melocactus pedernalensis
Photo: Rosario Douglas, CC BY 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
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Recorded near sea level in dry coastal thorn scrub in the Pedernales area, where Melocactus typically grow among limestone rock and thin soil in full sun.

8–105 m, median 14 m in 4 records.

Dominican RepublicHaiti

🔒 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.