Pincushion cactus
Mammillaria
Also called Mammillaria and Powder puff cactus
Houseplant · Succulents & cactiIT FLOWERS IN A RING, and only after a cold dry winter. Six weeks at 8°C with no water at all in December is what buys you the crown of flowers in spring.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 21 daysSoak, then bone-dry — wait until the soil is dry right through — lift the pot, it tells you.
- Light
- Bright, with direct sun
- Feed
- Every 90 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.15 m tall · 0.2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Mexico and the south-western United States
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
HandlingTake care handling it
Fine hooked spines that break off in skin. Fold a newspaper strip round it to repot.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-08-04. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.