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Golden Star Cactus

Mammillaria elongata

Also called Lace Cactus, Ladyfinger Cactus, Gold Lace Cactus

Golden Star Cactus
Photo: Chhe (talk), Public domain

Golden Star Cactus is a small, clustering cactus from central Mexico, forming dense groups of elongated stems covered in soft-looking but sharp yellow spines. It is grown for its spines and profuse spring flowers, and it needs bright light, sharp drainage and little water.

Family
Cactaceae (Cactus family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Full sun, Bright indirect
Water
Water deeply when the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2 to 3 weeks in the growing season and very sparingly in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with added grit or perlite.
Temperature
18–30 °C; protect below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Native range
Mexico (Guanajuato to Veracruz)
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Mammillaria elongata, the gold lace cactus or ladyfinger cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to central Mexico. Growing to 15 cm (6 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in) wide, it consists of densely packed clusters of elongated oval stems, covered in harmless (although very sharp) yellow or brown spines, and in spring producing white or yellow flowers. It is among the most common and most variable of its genus in nature, and is a popular subject for cultivation. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Mammillaria plants

Mammillaria bombycina · Mammillaria carmenae · Mammillaria erythrosperma · Twin Spine Cactus · Old Lady Pincushion · Mammillaria laui · Mexican Pincushion · Mammillaria petterssonii · Feather Cactus · Mammillaria polythele · Cactus · Texas nipple cactus

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mammillaria elongata 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.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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