Wednesday's Story

Sheer exuberance…

This flower exudes as it raises its petals with joy and elation above its sharp and prickly needles. It makes me think of a friend of mine who raises her arms above her head and rejoices at a moments notice. It can change a mood, a hectic day, a grumpy moment, to raise your arms in the air, look up and rejoice. So, wherever you are as you click to enjoy this cheerful flower, I hope you will raise your arms in the air and feel the joy of making it through the needles of life and celebrate being alive!

points of interest

Diurnal (opening in day), carmine-red, funnel shaped flowers are displayed in a ring around the crown of the stem from spring to summer. The 4” diameter spherical or cylindrical stems are offset from the base to form a mass. The bases of the tubercles are slightly wooly and at the apex, about 20 white radial spines emerge with one or two longer, red-brown and black-tipped central spikes.

general care

They are typically grown indoors. To encourage blooming in the spring, you can hold off watering for a few weeks at the beginning of spring along with feeding it cactus food early in spring for addtional nutrients.

friday’s flower fact

The Mammillarias belong to one of the largest genus in the cactus family, and they are called pincushion cactus as they are covered in white needles.