About three months ago I was posting about blooming mammillarias. And now I have three more that bloom earlier than the rest.
I just started to water the cacti to wake them up for spring. The temperatures are high enough for them to slowly prepare for the season. I don't see any other buds yet. I guess it is still early...I hope :p
First up - Mammillaria magnimamma (I think) grew nicely after I repotted it last year (same size pot, but fresh soil). There was a little pup on a side which I detached, but the little guy didn't survive, so now I just enjoy the single, big ball of very sharp spines. She is mean, but I still like it and there are more buds to come.
I hope one day I get some seed pods too, but in the years that I have had it it did not happen yet.
Next up is Mammillaria Bombycina. Looks cute but it's equally mean for different reasons. It will not pierce the skin with sharp spines - it will hook and tear it instead :D Fun!
It is definitely one of those "look but don't touch" and as much as I can handle most cacti with bare hands when I repot them, I have to use a long stick for this one. Isn't she lovely?
The dark red hooks combined with more delicate, short feather-like spines and bright pink flowers looks amazing. And it is not a fussy grower! I also have for some years now and grew pretty nicely. Still no seed pods though.
And she is so photogenic too!
I found a photo from 2021 to compare the size. Same pot, 4 years difference:
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And last but not least, one of the first mammillarias - Mammillaria Backebergiana. One of the oldest mammillarias I have. I also had a white spine version (last photo) but that one did not survive. I blame clay pots :p
This one decided to create a nice circle of flowers this year, even though they do not open all in one go. You can see all the buds popping. I don't think it even had this many flowers. I guess I did something right last year to deserve it (this I hope other cacti will still show the buds later this spring).
The image below is from 2019 when I got it. You can compare the size with the first photo.
I am pretty sure they can grow faster, but they do have a hard time with me sometimes, so I am happy they grow at all and not just die like some others.
The Furry Helper decided to take a day off and refused to participate in the shoot.
Oh well...
Shot with Nikon D5500 + Sigma 105mm lens
All photos, graphics and text are my own.
