Thelocactus tulensis

A small globular cactus of limestone hills in northeastern Mexico, on the Chihuahuan Desert margin of San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León. It wants strong sun, a warm wet summer and a cool, nearly dry winter. Grow it hard in a mineral mix and keep it dry from late autumn to early spring.

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 on rocky limestone hillsides among low desert scrub and grasses, often in partial shelter of shrubs but mostly exposed.

Wild records span 872–2241 m with a median near 1380 m; the literature gives roughly 1200–1900 m.

Mexico NortheastMexico Southwest

🔒 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.