Thelocactus setispinus

A small, free-flowering globular cactus with hooked central spines (long known as Hamatocactus setispinus) from south Texas and northeast Mexico. It grows in thornscrub and brushy grassland, often in the light shade of shrubs, and is one of the more forgiving cacti in cultivation, flowering yellow with red throats through the warm months.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Tamaulipan thornscrub, mesquite brush and grassy openings on the coastal plain and lower Edwards Plateau, usually tucked under or beside shrubs rather than fully exposed.

Mostly lowland: recorded from near sea level to a few hundred metres, median about 150 m.

TexasMexico Northeast

🔒 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.