Mammillaria cactus is another type of succulent widely used in home floriculture to create floral arrangements. Caring for Mammillaria at home is not difficult, so this plant, along with Gymnocalycium, is recommended for purchase by novice cactus growers.
The flowering of the Mammillaria cactus, as a rule, is abundant, often the flowers are arranged in a circle, forming a beautiful crown on the succulent.
How the Mammillaria cactus blooms
The most extensive genus of cacti – Mammillaria (Mammillaria) – contains, according to various estimates, from 250 to 500 species, an uncountable number of varieties and forms. The Mammillaria flower is a separate principality in the realm of cacti, and their collection and cultivation is a special area in collecting.
These succulents are in any collection known to me, and, obviously, not a single novice cactus grower will bypass them. These cacti are widely included in the practice of indoor floriculture.
All Mammillaria are united by the presence of papillae – tubercles, on top of which is the lower part of the areola with spines, and in the sinus – its upper part, from which flowers and lateral shoots appear. Mammillaria blooms, as a rule, in a circle: in most species, small flowers are arranged in a ring around the top of the stem. The corolla of flowers of this succulent is very beautiful. All other characters are extremely diverse in different representatives of the genus. And according to the requirements for home care, Mammillaria cacti of different types are very different from each other.
Among the Mammillaria there are real “survivors” who perfectly endure the numerous hardships of fate and the mistakes of flower growers. But Mammillarias also include some of the most difficult cacti in the culture – even experts prefer to grow them in a grafted state. Therefore, acquiring a Mammillaria that you just liked or selected from the picture is a risky game. Be sure to first find out from the reference book the main characteristics of the species being acquired.
It is better for a novice cactus grower not to start species that previously belonged to the genera Porfiria, Mamillopsis, Solisia.
Usually attention is attracted by large-flowered Mammillaria, but for the most part they are difficult in culture or of little interest in both decorative and collection aspects (M. shurliana, M. swinglei and those close to them quickly become ugly, elongated-curved).
Therefore, refrain from purchasing Mammillaria with large colorful flowers in the photographs.
Here you can see photos of Mammillaria the most beautiful species:
Flowering cactus Mammillaria of different species
True, there are pleasant exceptions: some Mammillaria cacti are rather unpretentious in their care.
These include a group of dolichotele (Dolichothele) and dolichotele longimamma M. (D. Longimamma), with large yellow flowers and papillae, reaching 7 cm in length. This is one of the most unusual and beautiful species of Mammillaria.
You can try to grow another beautiful representative of this genus – the former extreme gueltsoviana (M. guelzowiana) . This type, of course, is more sensitive (primarily to waterlogging) than it should be for beginners.
However, the description of this Mammillaria cactus makes us forget about the difficulties. He is so beautiful with his silvery-white thick long hairs, dark red hook-shaped spines and purple-red flowers up to 6 cm in diameter!
In addition, young plants of this species are not as sensitive as older ones, and as they grow, you can already become a qualified cactus grower. Both large-flowered dolichoteles and extreme gueltsoviana need sufficient sunlight for good flowering.
Another group of Mammillarias that is attractive and popular with collectors is the so-called white ones, in which the stem is densely covered with white spines, hairs, or abundant pubescence of the papillary sinuses. Unfortunately, most of these species are sensitive and cannot be recommended for beginners.
Minor exceptions:
M. bocasana (bocasana) .
M. gracilis (gracilis) .
And the just introduced A. guelzowiana .
Among the “difficult” white Mammillaria, one cannot fail to mention one of their most beautiful representatives – M. plumosa (plumosa) , with amazing feathery spines that turn this plant into a delicate powder puff – nothing to do with other “ruffy” cacti.
Most of them under normal conditions grow well, but not the most catchy. True, and among them there are wonderful forms. For example, the flowering cactus Mammillaria pennispinosa (pennyspinosa), in which each spine is covered with the smallest pinkish fringe, and in early spring so many white and pink flowers appear that they are downright crowded on top of this small spherical plant.
The decoration of any collection is the luxurious Mammillaria M. geminispina (geminispina) , thin flexible white spines of which in the best specimens reach a length of 8 cm.
The medium-sized cylindrical M. microhelia (microhelia) is very good, whose Latin name translates as “little suns” and very accurately reflects the radiant structure of its golden-shiny, rosette-shaped spines. The flowering of this Mammillaria occurs every spring: greenish-straw or pinkish flowers appear among the “little suns”.
From Mammillaria with short but very dense bristle-like spines, a small M. carmenae (carmen) stands out, in which numerous golden bristles are collected in fluffy bundles.
A number of species of Mammillaria can be recommended for use in phytodesign of interiors. These are curtain-forming, as well as large-stemmed, rounded Mammillaria, often forming beautiful groups of several large “heads” with age.
As you can see in the photo, such Mammillaria in groups are especially spectacular during the flowering period, when they are covered with rings of small bright flowers:
At the same time, the flowering period lasts a long time and does not stop with the transfer of plants to the depths of the premises. Thus, a plant grown and brought to flowering in good conditions can decorate the interior for a long time, and then switch it back to a gentle mode.
Large spherical Mammillaria with their openwork sculpture of ordered papillae and bizarre spines are good in interiors and groups of plants even without flowers.
They are also convenient because they can grow in flat dishes, go without water for many months, do not give an ugly growth with a lack of light, and are easily washed with warm water when they are heavily dusted.
Of the most well-known, you can specify the forms that are grouped around the views.
For example, M. hahniana (khaniana) , many forms, which are decorated not only with ordinary spines, but also with snow-white hairs.
Pay attention to the photo of the cactus Mammillaria magnimamma (magnimamma) – this is an amazingly diverse succulent with spines of different lengths and flowers from light yellow to carmine red:
Popular types of Mammillaria flower
Next, you can see the photo and find out the names of Mammillaria species, the most popular with cacti growers.
Several representatives of the Mamillaria genus are widely distributed in domestic floriculture. Their common features: medium-sized, forming dense bushes or tufts of plants, undemanding in culture, easily propagated by children.
Among them – Mammillaria crinita wildii (Mammillaria crinita ssp. Wildii) . Relatively large (up to 5 cm in diameter), slightly elongated plant with long thin papillae, light golden spines, the central of which is bent like a hook.
This Mammillaria easily blooms with numerous rather nondescript whitish flowers. Fruit sets only when cross-pollinated.
Mammillaria vetula gracilis (M. vetula gracilis) is an elegant small-stemmed Mammillaria with chalky-white spines, as if spread along the stem. Her papillae look like small tubercles.
As you can see in the photo, this type of Mammillaria produces a large number of white baby balls that crumble at the slightest shaking and quickly take root next to the mother plant:
Since each such young cactus soon, in turn, is covered with children, miniature thickets are formed.
In good conditions, Mammillaria gracilis has a more powerful and stocky stem and a black-brown central spine, which is a beautiful contrast to the pure white radial spines.
These Mammillaria also bloom only in optimal conditions – tiny white flowers appear at the very top of the stem at the end of winter. Fruits are formed exclusively during pollination.
Mammillaria prolifera (M. prolifega) is another miniature Mammillaria that forms bushes that are more squat than the previous species, quickly growing into dense curtains covering the entire surface of the pot.
Numerous spines – needle-like and hair-like – with sufficient light develop so strongly that they completely cover the stem. The central spines are golden yellow, the rest are whitish. Flowers about 1 cm in diameter, dense, as if waxy. Beautiful oblong bright red fruits are formed without pollination and adorn the plant for a long time. There are several close to the described forms, which are distinguished by a greater squatness and color of the spines.
Mammillaria elongata (M. elongata) is a plant with an elongated thin stem, low papillae and golden spines that form beautiful star rosettes. Many forms are known that differ in the rate of development and color of the central spines and the thickness of the stem. All of them strongly branch, forming dense bushes with drooping branches. They bloom with small whitish flowers only under favorable conditions.
Mammillaria bocasana (M. bocasana) is a larger cactus than the previous ones with an elongated spherical stem up to 6 cm in diameter. ) and brown-red, hooked (central).
This Mammillaria branches not so abundantly, but an adult plant with several large branches-children also forms a dense group. The flowers are inexpressive – small, cream. Fruits are tied only when pollinated.
Look at a selection of photos of various types of Mammillaria cacti:
How to care for Mammillaria cactus at home
All these Mammillarias do well in room culture. In principle, all of them (except the last one) are difficult to ruin. But to get truly ornamental plants, common mistakes should be avoided.
Before caring for the Mammillaria cactus, prepare the right soil mixture. It should be loose and depleted – this is recommended for most types of succulents.
When caring for Mammillaria, careful watering during the growth period and completely dry maintenance in winter is required. Beautiful spines and pubescence develop only with sufficient sunlight in the spring and summer.
Usually these cacti are propagated by children, which are easily separated from the mother plant and quickly take root in any substrate (the baby is placed without deepening on the substrate) and simply in the air.
With age, the bushes and curtains of Mammillaria become very thick, which inhibits their development, reduces the ability to bloom and decorative effect. Such “thickets” can be thinned out by carefully removing extra branches-children (including already rooted ones).