Sclerocactus mesae-verdae

A small, globular, federally threatened cactus restricted to the clay badlands of the Four Corners region of Colorado and New Mexico. It needs very cold dry winters, full sun and extremely careful watering, and is notoriously hard to keep on its own roots. Grow only from legally sourced seed.

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

Sparse desert scrub on barren hills and benches of heavy shale-derived clay soils, mainly Mancos and Fruitland shale, among low saltbush.

Generally given as about 1,500-2,000 m in the literature. No usable elevation records were available.

ColoradoNew Mexico

🔒 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.