There are those plants that are so easy to reproduce that become viewed as "common" and therefore are ignored. This is one of those plants. Each new "thimble" can easily break loose and root, thus forming a fast growing mound of cacti. But just because it's easy to grow doesn't mean it should be ignored. Even the experienced cactus grower can enjoy the challenge of creating a showy mound of these plants, presenting it in an appropriate pot and making an impression on even the most jaded cactophile!
When I was buying hurricane supplies at a big box store, a fellow customer knocked one of these down and broke it into a hundred pieces. I asked if I could take 2 of the pieces home, and the clerk said sure. Now I've got 2 little gracili growing like gangbusters. I love Mammillaria, and this has become one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI used to be kinda snotty about this plant. But after receiving this plant as a gift I have really learned to appreciate it. The small white spines are really rather beautiful, and you can't stop it from replicating. Whenever I buy a cactus I seem to always find a small part of M. gracilis var. fragilis mixed in the pot, and I go ahead and add it to mine. Nice picture! Mine still don’t have the large spines yet, someday…..
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes the super easy to grow plants are well worth growing even if they aren't a challenge. (The challenge is to have them stay together long enough to form a nice clump!)
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