Tephrocactus alexanderi

A clumping, ball-segmented opuntioid cactus from the arid pre-Andean valleys of northwest Argentina, where it bakes in full sun through hot, short wet summers and sits dry through cold, bright winters. Grow it hard: maximum light, a gritty mineral mix, generous water only in summer and a cold, completely dry winter.

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

Open, stony desert slopes and rocky flats in the dry valleys of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan, among sparse shrubs with almost no shade.

Measured sites span roughly 600 to 2,000 m, with most records near 1,400 to 2,000 m; few records carry their own elevation.

Argentina Northwest

🔒 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.