Species library › Pelecyphora › Pelecyphora zilziana
Succulents Well documented

Pelecyphora zilziana

A small globular cactus of the Chihuahuan Desert in Coahuila and neighbouring northeastern Mexico, long known as Escobaria or Coryphantha zilziana. It wants strong sun, a very free-draining mineral mix, summer watering and a dry, cool winter rest.

At home, aim for
Day Cool-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 Chihuahuan Desert scrub on gravelly and limestone slopes and flats, often partly sheltered by low shrubs or grasses.

Few records carry an elevation; climate sites range from about 500 to 1,400 m, which fits the desert basins and hills of Coahuila.

Mexico Northeast

🔒 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

Grow Pelecyphora zilziana? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.