Mammillaria formosa
SKU:C2KY3509
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Highlights
Mammillaria formosa (Galeotti ex Scheidweiler): A globose cactus with crowded, woolly tubercles that sprout white, bristly spines. This Mexican cactus is often solitary, though it can produce new offsets at its base over time. It blooms during the day in spring/summer with tiny, white to pale pink flowers in a ring atop the stem. It becomes cylindrical with age, reaching 8.0" tall and 4.0" wide at maturity.
This cactus variety will not survive a hard frost, but if there is a risk of freezing temperatures it can be brought indoors to grow on a sunny window sill or under a grow light. Cactus need bright sunlight, great drainage, and infrequent water to prevent rot. Pick containers with drainage holes and use well-draining cactus and succulent soil with 70% to 80% mineral grit such as coarse sand, pumice, or perlite. Water deeply and wait for the soil to completely dry out before watering again. Keep dry in winter.
Product Size
2.0" Pot
Current Primary Color
White
All Seasonal Colors
Green
Bloom Color
White Bloom
Grow Zone (Hardiness)
Zone 10 (30F)
Recommended Light Conditions
Bright Indoor Light, Full Sun
Maximum Height
6"-8"
Growth Habit / Shape
Vertical Grower / Tall Stem
Special Characteristic
Showy Blooms, Slow Grower
THIS PLANT IS HARDY IN ZONES 10+
10
WHAT IS MY HARDINESS ZONE?
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Questions & Answers
Popular Questions
• Staff Answer
You can always set up an advanced order. To do that, order whatever plants you like and, when you're checking out, write in the "order comments" section the date you would like to receive them by. We recommend getting them a couple weeks before you need them so they have time to recover from shipping.
The flowering issue is more complicated. Do you mean to say that you would like all 30 cacti to have flowers on them when they get to you? Or are you saying that you want 30 cacti that do make beautiful flowers when they bloom? If it's the former, we can't guarantee that, but if it's the latter, we can as many of the varieties we sell are easy bloomers.
The flowering issue is more complicated. Do you mean to say that you would like all 30 cacti to have flowers on them when they get to you? Or are you saying that you want 30 cacti that do make beautiful flowers when they bloom? If it's the former, we can't guarantee that, but if it's the latter, we can as many of the varieties we sell are easy bloomers.
• Staff Answer
If you were in zone 9 there would be little tricks that could help you, but zone 8 may be stretching it. You can certainly try it with a few tricks and see how it goes.
In general, if you keep cacti dry in the winter they tend to handle the cold better. A mineral based soil that drains water well is a must if you want to attempt outside overwintering. Also, do not water at all in the winter. The plant will be dormant anyway so this won't hurt it.
You can also put these plants close to your home or other heated structure. The small amount of heat that escapes through your insulation can benefit zone 10 plants in danger of freezing.
Finally covering the plants in the winter will help keep the frost off of them and increase the probability of their survival.
In general, if you keep cacti dry in the winter they tend to handle the cold better. A mineral based soil that drains water well is a must if you want to attempt outside overwintering. Also, do not water at all in the winter. The plant will be dormant anyway so this won't hurt it.
You can also put these plants close to your home or other heated structure. The small amount of heat that escapes through your insulation can benefit zone 10 plants in danger of freezing.
Finally covering the plants in the winter will help keep the frost off of them and increase the probability of their survival.
Hi there! I have some bad news.
Yellowing at the base of a cactus is a symptom of root rot. Root rot is fatal to plants and cacti are especially prone to it.
It's caused by overwatering so the first step is to stop watering it completely. If the base of your plant's stem is beginning to yellow, that means that the rot has spread to the stem and more intense procedures must be taken.
I recommend cutting the stem off a half an inch above the yellowing. Throw the bottom part with the roots away and place the top part on a paper towel for roughly a 3-4 days; watching always for continued yellowing. When you see the cut side callous, plant this cutting into moist soil. Hopefully it'll root and, if it does, water more sparingly than you did before… See full answer »
Yellowing at the base of a cactus is a symptom of root rot. Root rot is fatal to plants and cacti are especially prone to it.
It's caused by overwatering so the first step is to stop watering it completely. If the base of your plant's stem is beginning to yellow, that means that the rot has spread to the stem and more intense procedures must be taken.
I recommend cutting the stem off a half an inch above the yellowing. Throw the bottom part with the roots away and place the top part on a paper towel for roughly a 3-4 days; watching always for continued yellowing. When you see the cut side callous, plant this cutting into moist soil. Hopefully it'll root and, if it does, water more sparingly than you did before… See full answer »
• Staff Answer
This Bonsai Jack Gritty Mix is perfect for desert plants that need rapid drainage.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/soil...
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/soil...
• Staff Answer
Super gritty, well draining soil like this Bonsai Jack Mix is best for cacti.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/soil...
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/soil...
• Staff Answer
Yellowing at the base of an Opuntia cactus is fairly serious. I believe rot is the main culprit here. It's possible it's gotten too much water from rain or irrigation. Were there any wounds near the base of of plant when it went into the ground? Did you water immediately after planting? If the answer to either is yes, then it's very likely rot. Same goes if you water it more than once a week.
As far as treatment is concerned, I recommend pulling the cactus up to take a closer look at the base. If this yellow section is wet and squishy, cut it off and throw it away. Make sure the healthy part you're keeping has no sign on the yellowing on it. Leave this healthy part sitting out for a couple of days so the wound heals. When the cut side feels dry and calloused, go ahead and plant it again in a dry, sunny, spot with gritty soil.
It sounds like your already familiar with Opuntia planting procedure, but below is the guide, just in case. I hope this helps and I hope your cactus recovers!
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/faqs...
As far as treatment is concerned, I recommend pulling the cactus up to take a closer look at the base. If this yellow section is wet and squishy, cut it off and throw it away. Make sure the healthy part you're keeping has no sign on the yellowing on it. Leave this healthy part sitting out for a couple of days so the wound heals. When the cut side feels dry and calloused, go ahead and plant it again in a dry, sunny, spot with gritty soil.
It sounds like your already familiar with Opuntia planting procedure, but below is the guide, just in case. I hope this helps and I hope your cactus recovers!
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/faqs...
• Staff Answer
You might be thinking of Euphorbia. They're not technically cacti, but they can look very similar and have large thorns. You can browse our currently in stock Euphorbia at the link below.
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/euph...
Source: https://mountaincrestgardens.com/euph...
• Staff Answer
The issue with this request is that cacti grow more (or even less) ribs as they mature. You might start with a five sided plant, but end up with one that's eight sided within a few years. Furthermore, it's difficult to determine how many ribs a cactus will end up with. Mature gray ghost organs can have 5-8 ribs at maturity and there's no way to know how many it will end up with.
That being said, when you check out you can write in the order comments section that you would prefer a grey ghost organ with 5 ribs and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
That being said, when you check out you can write in the order comments section that you would prefer a grey ghost organ with 5 ribs and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
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