Sclerocactus whipplei

A small, hook-spined barrel cactus of the Colorado Plateau in northeastern Arizona and southern Utah, growing in high, cold desert grassland and juniper scrub. It is cold-hardy but very sensitive to excess water and is hard to keep on its own roots, so success depends on a cold, bone-dry winter and very sharp drainage.

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

Arid plateau grassland and open pinyon–juniper scrub on sandy, gravelly or rocky, well-drained soils.

Recorded at 1,525–2,073 m, median 1,770 m (9 records).

ArizonaUtah

🔒 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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More Sclerocactus

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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.