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Pingpong-ball cactus

Epithelantha

Also called Button cactus, Button Cactuses

Pingpong-ball cactus
Photo: Christer Johansson, CC BY-SA 2.5

Epithelantha is a genus of small, globular cacti from northeastern Mexico and the southwestern United States, with ten recognised species; the commonly grown ones are called pingpong-ball or button cacti. They are grown for their dense white spines and small pink or white flowers, and need bright light, sharp drainage and little water.

Family
Cactaceae (Cactus family)
Grows as
Succulent, Bulb
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly during the growing season and let the soil dry out fully between waterings; keep nearly dry in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with added grit or pumice.
Temperature
18–35 °C in the growing season; keep above 7–10 °C in winter and keep dry when cool.
How easy
Moderate

About

Epithelantha (button cactus) is a genus of cactus that is native to north-eastern Mexico, and the south-western United States. There are ten species recognised in the genus Epithelantha. The name Epithelantha refers to the flower position near the apex of the tubercles.

Where it grows

Plants in this genus are from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in Southern United States to northeastern Mexico, including the states of Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, and Nuevo León. Plants mainly grow in open areas, often partly covered by limestone fragments.

Other Epithelantha plants

Pingpong-ball cactus · Epithelantha cryptica · Epithelantha greggii · Epithelantha ilariae · Pingpong-ball cactus · Epithelantha pachyrhiza · Epithelantha polycephala · Epithelantha potosina · Epithelantha pulchra · Epithelantha spinosior

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Epithelantha by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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