Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mother of Hundreds
Mother of Hundreds is a clumping Mexican cactus with short stems covered in chalky white spines. It makes pups freely and builds into a wide mound over time, one of the largest mounds of any Mammillaria. Small pink to purplish red flowers ring the stems in winter and early spring. It suits pots, raised beds and the front of a cactus garden.
Best for: pots, raised beds and the front of a cactus garden where it has room to spread. It clumps into a wide mound of short, white-spined stems.
Each stem stays about 10 inches tall and 4 inches wide, but the clump keeps spreading. A wide, shallow pot gives it room to fill in.
In the ground it can clump into a mound up to about 3 feet wide. Plant it at the front of a bed where it can spread out.
Small pink to purplish red flowers ring the stems in winter and early spring, when little else in a cactus bed is blooming.
It can be damaged below about 20 to 28°F, so cover it on frost nights. Wet winter soil can rot it. Give it light shade in the Phoenix summer.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water when the soil has dried out in summer. Keep it dry in winter unless the winter is very dry.
It likes full sun, but in Phoenix give it light shade in summer so the stems do not scorch.
It can be damaged below about 25°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. It can be hurt anywhere from about 20 to 28°F, so cover it early on cold nights.
Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus mix with plenty of pumice, perlite or coarse sand. Water it when the mix is dry, and keep it drier in winter.
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.
Why is it called Mother of Hundreds?
It makes pups freely and builds into a mound of many stems. Give it room to spread, since it becomes one of the largest mounds of any Mammillaria.
How big does Mother of Hundreds get?
Each stem grows up to about 10 inches tall and 4 inches wide. In the ground the clump can spread to about 3 feet across.
When does it bloom?
Small pink to purplish red flowers ring the stems in winter and early spring. Keep it in good light so it blooms.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It likes full sun, but in Phoenix give it light shade in summer. Morning sun with afternoon shade works well.
How often should I water it?
Wait about a week after planting, then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water it when the soil has dried out in summer. Keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It can take about 20 to 28°F, depending on the plant. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, and move pots under a patio roof.
Can I split up the clump?
Yes. It makes plenty of pups, and you can cut one off with a clean knife. Let the cut dry for a few days before you plant it.
What soil does it need in the Valley?
Plant it in soil that drains fast, like sandy or gravelly native soil, with no compost. If you hit caliche, break through it so water drains, or choose another spot.
How do I handle it without getting stuck?
Wear thick leather gloves, and wrap the plant in folded newspaper or cloth to lift it. Keep it away from spots where kids play.
Mother of Hundreds for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mother of Hundreds is Mammillaria compressa from central Mexico. It gets its name from the way it clumps into a mound of many stems. Below is what to expect in a Valley pot or bed: size, sun, water, cold and flowers.
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 Mother of Hundreds cactus?
It is Mammillaria compressa, a clumping cactus from central Mexico. Its short stems are covered in chalky white spines.
How big does Mother of Hundreds get?
Each stem grows up to about 10 inches tall. In the ground the clump can spread to about 3 feet wide.
Mother of Hundreds flowers
Small pink to purplish red flowers ring the stems in winter and early spring.
Growing Mother of Hundreds in Phoenix
Plant it in fast-draining soil in full sun, with light shade in summer. Water when the soil is dry in summer, and keep it dry in winter.
Is Mother of Hundreds cold hardy?
It can be damaged below about 20 to 28°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, and move pots under cover.
Mother of Hundreds in a pot
Use a wide pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus mix. The clump will spread to fill it over time.
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.