| Description | Ariocarpus is a tough plant found growing in the Chihuahuan Desert from the State of Texas all the way down to Queretaro, Mexico. There are six different species with a few subspecies. They were found growing in the hot, dry desert and mimicking the rocks and sand to hide from hungry herbivores. |
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| Plant Type | Cactus, Perennial Tender |
| Hardiness Zone | 8b-11 |
| Sunlight | full, mostly sunny |
| Moisture | average to dry during the growing season and dry during the dormant time |
| Soil & Site | well drained |
| Growing Media | well drained and gritty |
| Temperature | tolerates cooler temperature |
| Flowers | Pink or white borne from around the apex through the wool. |
| Leaves | grayish green, compact, lacking ribs and spines, ribs replaced by tubercules |
| Roots | forms a thick tap root |
| Dimensions | 3 by 8 inches (HS), very slow growing, forms a star-shaped rosette |
| Propagation | Growing from seeds can be challenging due to the slow growth and keeping the seedlings alive. |
| Native Site | Indigenous to the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Zacatecas. It grows alongside and near the Rio Grande River. Additionally, the species is found in Texas. |
| Cultivar Origin | First described by Michel Scheidweiler in 1838. The final term of Ariocarpus was accepted around 1900. |
| Misc Facts | This plant has six species, making it a small genus: Ariocarpus agavoides, bravoanus, fissuratus, kotschoubeyanus, retuses, and scaphirostris. There are also a few subspecies |
| Notes & Reference | #15-Cactus Lexicon (Backeberg), Magic Cactus (www.MagiCactus.com) |
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