Mammillaria bocasana is one of my favorite little cacti. I think I must have four or five of them and have, sadly, killed probably that many  overwatering them; they are prone to easily rot. My others have produced flowers that were light pink, white, pale yellow, white with  candy stripes, pretty little flowers, but not the hot pink of this variety, aptly name m. bocasana roseiflora, no doubt for those lovely hot pink blooms.

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M. bocasana, commonly called powder puff or powder puff pincushion, is native to northern central Mexico is popular enough that admirers and unscrupulous greedy dealers are prone to collect the plant in its natural habitat to extreme, thereby putting its very existence in jeopardy because they leave none or very few plants to supply seeds and babies to continue the spread of the plant. And too many of the plants they take die before they can contribute to their population. This is happening more and more as cacti and succulents become more sought after by collectors who are willing to buy plants from these people with no regard to the long-term future of the species. Reputable dealers propagate new plants from seeds rather than ravaging them in native habitat.

They make nice specimens by themselves, but really add color and texture to dish gardens. In the back is a gasteria glomerata and to the left is an aloinopsis.

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Trinkets and decorations in this pot include a piece of pink and white slag glass that matches the flowers, a small piece of cholla skeleton wood, and a nice little green frog.

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This little mammillaria is relatively easy to find at the big box stores if you aren’t close to a cactus nursery, but you will find that the color of the flowers will vary with the plants. But that’s okay; this one adds a nice touch no matter what color the flowers. Over time the plant will clump and make a cluster of cacti and therefore more flowers.

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Just don’t get trigger-happy with the water. Like all cactus, they do need water, but don’t overdo it. Err on the side of dry with this species. Water maybe once every two weeks thoroughly and then let it dry out before watering again. Never let it sit in a puddle of water.

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And enjoy.