Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Green Mammillaria
Green Mammillaria is a rounded, gray-green pincushion cactus from the Mexican highlands, with thin brown spines lying close against the bumps and tufts of white hair between them. In spring it flowers heavily, with a crown of purplish pink flowers around the top. It grows slowly to about 6 to 12 inches tall and suits pots and small cactus gardens.
Best for: patio pots, small rock and cactus gardens, and an east-facing spot out of the western afternoon sun.
It grows slowly to about 6 to 12 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide, so it can stay in the same pot for years. Use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It does best on an east side, out of the full western afternoon sun of a Phoenix summer. It takes heat to about 115°F in the right spot.
It flowers heavily in spring, with a crown of small purplish pink flowers around the top.
Overwatering and poorly drained soil rot the roots. Full western afternoon sun in summer scorches it.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Once rooted in the ground it rarely needs extra water. Water a pot when the mix is dry in the warm months, and never in winter.
Give it morning sun on an east side. Keep it out of the full western afternoon sun of a Phoenix summer.
It can be damaged below about 30°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning. Some growers see damage near 30°F, so cover it early in a cold snap.
Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus mix. Water it when the mix is dry.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does green mammillaria get?
It grows slowly to about 6 to 12 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide, and becomes a little columnar with age.
When does it bloom?
In spring, when it flowers heavily with a crown of small purplish pink flowers around the top.
Where should I plant it in Phoenix?
On an east side or anywhere it gets morning sun without the full western afternoon sun of summer. Rocky, fast-draining soil suits it.
How often should I water it?
In the ground it rarely needs extra water once rooted. Water a potted plant when the mix is dry in the warm months, and give it no water in winter.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, and move pots under a roof.
Why is my cactus soft at the base?
Soft or mushy tissue at the base usually means root rot from too much water or poor drainage. Let the soil dry fully and water far less.
How do I handle it?
Wear gloves and wrap it in folded newspaper to lift it. The spines are thin but sharp.
Can it grow indoors?
Yes, it can grow in a bright indoor spot as well as outside. Give it as much light as you can indoors.
Green Mammillaria for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Green Mammillaria (Mammillaria mystax) is a pincushion cactus from the highlands of southern Mexico. This page covers its size, spring flowers, sun, water and cold in a Valley pot or bed.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is green mammillaria?
It is Mammillaria mystax, a gray-green pincushion from the highlands of southern Mexico.
How big does Mammillaria mystax get?
It grows slowly to about 6 to 12 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide.
Mammillaria mystax flowers
It flowers heavily in spring with a crown of small purplish pink flowers.
Best spot in Phoenix
An east side with morning sun, out of the full western afternoon sun in summer.
Watering green mammillaria
In the ground it rarely needs extra water. Keep it dry in winter.
Is it cold hardy?
It is rated to about 30°F. Cover it on frost nights.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.