Mammillaria elongata or Golden Stars

Care of the cactus Mammillaria elongata or Golden Stars

The genus Mammillaria, family Cactaceae, includes more than 350 species of cactus native to Mexico mostly. Some species are: Mammillaria elongata, Mammillaria longimamma, Mammillaria discolor, Mammillaria crinita, Mammillaria compressa, Mammillaria carmenae, Mammillaria candida, Mammillaria bombycina, Mammillaria backebergiana, Mammillaria karwinskiana, Mammillaria marksiana, Mammillaria hahniana, Mammillaria parkinsonii, Mammillaria lenta, Mammillaria laui, Mammillaria magnimamma, Mammillaria pringlei, Mammillaria spinosissima, Mammillaria haageana, Mammillaria vetula, Mammillaria petterssonii, Mammillaria magnifica.

Common names: Golden Stars, Lady Fingers. Scientific synonyms: Chilita elongata, Neomammillaria elongata, Krainzia elongata, Leptocladia elongata. This species is native to Guanajuato, Hidalgo and Querétaro, Mexico.

They are small cacti with a creeping bearing that form highly branched colonies that reach 15 cm (5.9") in height. The body is cylindrical, deep green in color and has 4 mm (0.15") long conical tubercles. Round areolas have up to 28 star-shaped curved radial spines and 0-3 central spines. The flowers are white or yellowish and appear in the upper half of the stems. They bloom from mid-winter to late spring.

They are fast growing and easy growing plants that are used in pots, in rockeries and in cactus and succulent gardens.

Mammillaria elongata need full sun or semi-shade exposure and hot, dry climates. They resist occasional frosts but it's better that the temperature does not drop below 3 ºC (37.4 ºF).

The soil can be a commercial cactus substrate or a mixture, in the same proportions, of leaf mulch, coarse sand, and light garden substrate.

They are very resistant to drought; water moderately waiting for the substrate to dry completely. Do not water from mid-fall to early spring.

Fertilize with cactus fertilizer once in spring and again in summer.

They do not need pruning.

They are very sensitive plants to excess watering.

They propagate easily by separation of suckers; they can produce roots in a week.