Silver arrows cactus

Silver arrows cactus Care

Mammillaria karwinskiana subs. nejapensis

What is the plant

This easy-care spikey head is one cactus species that you must have in your collection. Its wool-like spikes will charm you instantly, especially during bloom season when multiple cream and yellow flowers with red stripes cover them up. It mostly feeds on the sun, so as long as you have a sunny spot where you can place it, you will be a great plant mother for it. You can grow it both indoors and outdoors, so it really is up to your preference, as the Silver arrows cactus won’t complain too much.

Originally from Mexico, Silver arrows is a columnar cactus that will grow with globular stems. They grow up to 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) tall and bloom in late summer or during summertime. You will also find it by the name Royal Cross due to the shape of its bristles. It likes dry places with low humidity and a lot of sun, and it is a great plant for beginners as it requires little care to thrive and bloom. Silver arrows cactus has two main variations that are brevispina, which has short spikes on the areolas, and longispina, with long spines, so just pick the one that best matches your collection. Or pick them all, really.

If you’ve recognized any mistakes feel free to notify us about it. This would help us to provide only the best-quality information.

Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

10°C - 20°C

Hardiness zone

9a - 11

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
If you keep your Silver arrows cactus inside, avoid overwatering and let the top part of the soil dry completely before watering again. During winter time, let the soil dry out completely before watering, as the cactus goes dormant. Keep the misting habits for your leafy plants, as cacti prefer dry spots with little humidity. In case you choose to plant your cactus outside, it will need a bit more watering than indoors plants, especially if you keep it in full sun. Water once a week during summer months, slowly decreasing the frequency as the winter approaches.
Pruning
This plant does not really require pruning, but you can deadhead the flowers after blooming, so you help the cactus redirect its vitamins towards growth.
Fertilizer
Silver Arrows is perfectly ok if you don’t fertilize it, but you can boost up the blooms by fertilizing it once every three weeks with a mild fertilizer during spring and early summer. Dilute the fertilizer to a quarter of its strength to avoid burning the plant.

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Sunlight
This cactus loves light, about 5-6 hours a day of direct sun, so in case you can’t provide it with that amount of sun indoors, consider buying growth lights. During summer months, it is healthy for the plant to be kept outside in a spot where the warmth and the sun can reach it all day long. If you keep the plant outside and the sun tends to get very hot, consider keeping it in a shaded area in the middle of the day, so you avoid sunburn.
Soil
Choose porous, well-draining soil for planting your cactus, as it does not like moist soil. Use a regular cactus mix which you can mix with perlite or sand, so you ensure good drainage.
Propagation
Silver Arrows propagation is quite easy if you are patient with a few steps. You will notice new offsets at the base of your cactus during the growth period. Separate these offsets with as many roots as possible. Let the cuttings air dry for a few days, then, once dry, plant them in well-draining soil. You can use growth hormone to speed up the process, but it is not necessary if you don’t have it around. Place the container in a bright spot but with indirect sun and create a warm, moist environment for the new plant until it establishes itself. Slowly adapt it to direct sunlight once the plant is fixed into the soil and ready to be taken outside.

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Temperature
Silver Arrows cactus can resist a wide range of temperatures, however, it is not very frost resistant. When the temperature drops below 23 °F (-5 °C), find a warmer place for it. Keep away from cold air flows or windows during winter time.
Container
Choose a tall container that has a good drainage system, as cacti don’t like to be kept in water. If you are using a watering plate, don’t leave water in it after watering, because it can lead to root rot.
Fun fact
This cactus species also has a funny nickname to it, Owl Eye Cactus, for its habit of growing more stems in time, resembling the eyes of owls. Before it reaches maturity, identifying Silver arrows cactus feature is a single globular branch. Later, this branch will start to multiply by two with every growth stage.

What's wrong with your plant?

Ease your plant care routine with PlantIn's personalized system.

Popularity
40 people already have this plant 9 people have added this plant to their wishlists

Common pests
Silver Arrows is almost pest-free, and the only major problem this plant might have is root rot in case of overwatering. Be mindful of the watering schedule, and you should be good to go and befriend this spiky cactus for a long time.
Frequent diseases
Botanist’s tips