Sclerocactus polyancistrus

A hook-spined barrel cactus of the Mojave Desert in California and Nevada, called the Mojave fishhook cactus. It is notoriously difficult on its own roots and needs full sun, very dry air, a hot, nearly rainless summer, and a cold, dry winter. Many growers graft it.

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 Mojave desert scrub on rocky alluvial fans and slopes, often on alkaline soils.

Recorded from about 700 to 2,300 m (median about 1,500 m).

Eastern CaliforniaSouthern Nevada

🔒 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.