Pediocactus knowltonii

A tiny, clustering high-desert cactus known from only a handful of hills along the San Juan River on the New Mexico–Colorado border. It needs full sun, a cold dry winter well below freezing and an extremely fast-draining mineral mix; in collections it rots easily on its own roots, so many growers keep it grafted.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets 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 in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows on gravelly, rocky alluvial hills in open pinyon–juniper woodland and sagebrush, usually among low grasses and small shrubs that give a little shelter at the base.

The wild population sits at roughly 1,900–2,000 m; the measured climate sites (1,894 m and 2,745 m) are region-level placeholders rather than the real locality.

New MexicoColorado

🔒 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 3.0 licence, unmodified.