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Mammillaria rhodantha
Rainbow pincushion is a small, clump-forming cactus from Mexico, grown for its dense spines and long-lasting deep pink to purple flowers. It needs bright light, sharp drainage and infrequent watering.
Mammillaria rhodantha, the rainbow pincushion, is a plant in the cactus family (Cactaceae) and is one of 171 species in the genus Mammillaria which are characterized by having nipple-shaped tubercles or prominences on their surface.
It is commonly used as a houseplant. It does not need much care throughout the year. It is small in size and usually only requires a small pot. Since it is a desert plant it does not have to be watered often. It does not require any special treatment other than plentiful light to encourage spine formation. It also has flowers for much of the year, making it very visually appealing.
Under the synonym Mammillaria pringlei (lemon ball), M. rhodantha subsp. pringlei is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Mammillaria bombycina · Mammillaria carmenae · Golden Star Cactus · Mammillaria erythrosperma · Twin Spine Cactus · Old Lady Pincushion · Mammillaria laui · Mexican Pincushion · Mammillaria petterssonii · Feather Cactus · Mammillaria polythele · Cactus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mammillaria rhodantha 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.
