Melocactus salvadorensis

A Turk's-cap cactus from eastern Bahia, Brazil, growing in hot, sunny caatinga and rocky outcrops from near sea level to about 800 m. It needs strong light and warmth all year and never tolerates cold, so it is a plant for a warm, bright greenhouse or a strong grow light.

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

Like other Bahian Melocactus it grows on rock outcrops and sandy or gravelly ground in caatinga scrub, largely exposed to full sun.

Recorded from 0 to 800 m, median about 325 m.

Brazil NortheastBrazil Southeast

🔒 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.