Mammillaria bocasana 'Fred'

Scientific Name

Synonyms

Mammillaria bocasana f. monstruosa

Scientific Classification

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cacteae
Subtribe: Cactinae
Genus: Mammillaria

Description

Mammillaria bocasana 'Fred' is a variable cultivar that produces many reddish, pinkish, or green stems forming clumps. Some stems are monstrose, others cristate. They vary in size according to time of year, up to 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in diameter in winter while resting and often reaching twice that size when growing in summer. Stems are usually smooth, with a few fine hairs emanating from the small areoles. Flowers are whitish and seldom produced.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

To encourage better flowering, allow the plants to enjoy a cooling period in the winter and suspend watering. Unlike many other cacti, which use their ribs as storage devices, the Mammillaria feature raised tubercles, from which spines emerge. When you water, the tubercles will expand to allow for increased water storage. The flowers emerge from the axils of these tubercles on the previous year's growth, which accounts for their interesting halo effect. The cactus mustn't be exposed to prolonged dampness and sitting water. Never let your cactus sit in a dish of water. Lastly, make sure to fertilizer during the growing season for the best results.

Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a cactus, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Next, knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process.

See more at How to Grow and Care for Mammillaria.

Origin

It is said to have been produced as an aberrant cristate and monstrose offset from a normal plant of Mammillaria bocasana and propagated in the USA by a collector called Fred.