Mammillaria candidaScheidw .
Snowball Cactus , Snowball Pincushion
Chilita candida , Mammillaria estanzuelensis , Mammilloydia candida , Neomammillaria candida
In cultivation, Athens, Greece. Photo by Mario S. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
household : CactaceaeSubfamily : CactoideaeTribe : CacteaeSubtribe : CactinaeGenus : Mammillaria
The specific epithet " candida(pronounced KAN - did - uh ) " means " shine white " and refers to the stems almost altogether covered with blanched spines .
Mammillaria candidais native to northeasternMexico . It hap in Coahuila , Nuevo Leon , Tamaulipas , San Luis Potosi , and Guanajuato . The plant grows in the thickets of xerophytic shrubs on calcareous soils at elevations between 1,600 and 8,200 foot ( 490 and 2,500 m ) .
In cultivation, Mexico City, Mexico. Photo by Carlos Villeda. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Mammillaria candida , also get laid asMammilloydia candida , is a modest cactus withsolitaryor cluster stems densely covered with livid backbone . The stems are spheric , becoming cylindric with years , and can grow up to 12 inches ( 30 cm ) grandiloquent and 8 inches ( 20 cm ) in diameter . Thetuberclesare broadly cylindrical , measure out up to 0.25 inches ( 0.6 cm ) long , and have wooly areoles at the tips and 4 to 7 white bristle in the axil . Eachareolebears 6 to 12 cardinal and 5 to 120 radial spines . The central spines are white-hot to pinkish - white , often with pink or brown tips , and can measure up to 0.4 inch ( 1 atomic number 96 ) long , while the radial spines are white and can develop up to 0.6 inches ( 1.5 curium ) long .
The peak are funnel - shaped and can reach up to 1.2 inches ( 3 curium ) in length . They are pale yellow to pale pink with a darker stripe along the midriff of thepetalsand appear in spring . The yield are club - determine , red-faced or pinkish , and contain tiny black-market come . They can grow up to 0.6 inches ( 1.5 atomic number 96 ) long .
Light : establish this cactus in an domain of your garden that receives 4 hour of direct sun day by day . If you are grow M. candida indoors , place it near the brightest windowpane in your home or authority to assure your cactus gets enough light . Place the crapper on the balcony or in the garden for supernumerary light source from spring to fall if possible .
In habitat, Ramos Arizpe Municipality, Coahuila, Mexico. Photo byCangrejo Zurdo. Licensed underCC BY-NC 4.0.
Soil : M. candidarequires a grime intermixture that provide ascendant aeration and right drainage , whether rise outdoors or indoors . Use a commercial-grade cactus potting admixture , orcreate your own .
Temperature : This cactus is estrus patient of but is not a cold - hardy plant . M. candidacan withstand temperatures as low-spirited as 25 ° F ( -3.9 ° C).USDA Plant Hardiness Zones9b to 11b , 25 to 50 ° F ( -3.9 to 10 ° C ) .
lachrymation : From spring to come , water deeply and wait for the soil to dry before watering again . Never rent the passel sit down in urine . Suspendwateringin the winter .
In cultivation, Athens, Greece. Photo by Mario S. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Fertilizing : M. candidacan welfare fromfertilizingduring the growing season . Apply a water - soluble fertilizer for cacti and other succulents . Suspend feeding during the winter when the plant life travel hibernating .
Repotting : Repot every two or three years into a slenderly larger sess . The best time to repot yourM. candidais late wintertime or early bounce , but the repotting procedure can be done almost any time of the year .
Propagation : There are two gentle ways to propagateM. candida : by seeds or dividing offsets . The best clip to remove offsets is in bound and summertime . Sow the seeds in later spring or summer .
Learn more atHow to Grow and Care for Mammillaria .
M. candidais considered non - toxic to both humanity and pets .
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