Feather Cactus
Mammillaria plumosa
| Family: | Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee) (Info) |
| Genus: | Mammillaria (mam-mil-AR-ee-uh) (Info) |
| Species: | plumosa (plum-OH-suh) (Info) |
| Synonym: | Chilita plumosa |
| Synonym: | Ebnerella plumosa |
Category:
Cactus and Succulents
Water Requirements:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Foliage Color:
Height:
under 6 in. (15 cm)
Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
9-12 in. (22-30 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Can be grown as an annual
Danger:
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling
Bloom Color:
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
From woody stem cuttings
Allow cut surface to callous over before planting
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds
Properly cleaned, seed can be successfully stored
Regional
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Carefree, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona(2 reports)
Phoenix, Arizona
Pittsburg, California
Reseda, California
San Diego, California
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Cleveland, Ohio
South Jordan, Utah
show allGardeners' Notes:
| Rating | Content |
|---|---|
| Neutral | On Oct 20, 2005, cactus_lover from FSD, Forming large mounds,heads to 7 cm across.Flowers sparingly produced. |
| Positive | On Mar 1, 2004, palmbob from Acton, CA (Zone 8b) wrote: One of the best looking Mammillarias. RElatively cold hardy (down to 20F). Has soft looking spines and easy to handle, but still are some real spines underneath. Flowers white, pale yellow or pale pink and seem to be off and on all year round. Clumps but slow growing. This has turned out to be one of the easier Mammillarias for me to grow, tolerating an a lot of sun but also random watering patterns. |
