Pleurotus opuntiae

Hongo de maguey

A small, cream, funnel-shaped oyster mushroom that fruits on dead prickly pear (Opuntia) and agave in semi-arid central Mexico, where it is a traditional food. It is also recorded in Spain on dead Opuntia. It belongs to the Pleurotus djamor-cornucopiae clade and should grow on straw like other oysters.

Pleurotus opuntiae — Photo: PleurotusTheBigLocus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Very humid airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal rest

Where it grows wild

Clusters on dead pads and stems of Opuntia and agave in semi-arid scrub.

Recorded at 47–2415 m, median 1344 m (only 4 records).

MexicoSpainNew Zealand

🔒 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.