Species · genus Mammillaria · Cactaceae
Mother Of Hundreds
Mammillaria compressa DC.
Cultivars of M. compressa
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under M. compressa yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
Mother of Hundreds
Mammillaria compressa, commonly called mother of hundreds or the compressed pincushion cactus, is a clump-forming cactus in the Cactaceae family. It carries an RHS Award of Garden Merit and is grown both as a houseplant and in conservatory or greenhouse collections.
Source: RHS
Native to Mexico
This species comes from eastern and central Mexico, reaching as far as Jalisco, where it grows as a succulent subshrub in desert and dry shrubland. It was first described by DC. in 1828, and over the years has accumulated dozens of synonyms as botanists reclassified it under names such as Neomammillaria and Cactus compressus.
Source: Kew
Sun, Sparing Water
Grow it in cactus compost in full light, though it appreciates a little shade from the hottest sun. From mid-spring to late summer, water freely and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser, then let it rest through winter with only sparing water.
Source: RHS
Seed or Offsets
New plants can be raised from seed sown at 19–24°C in late winter or early spring. Alternatively, the offsets this clump-forming cactus produces so readily can simply be removed in early spring.
Source: RHS
Clustered Spiny Stems
The plant forms clumps of cylindrical stems that can reach 25cm, each studded with conical tubercles bearing pale brown spines. In spring a ring of pink flowers opens around the crown of the stem, giving the clustered form its reward for patience.
Source: RHS
Watch for Mealybugs
Mealybugs, including the root-dwelling kind, are the main pest concern for this cactus. Otherwise it is generally free of disease.
Source: RHS
No Pruning Needed
This is a low-maintenance plant that asks for no pruning at all. Left to its own devices in a pot, container, or conservatory bed, it simply builds its clump over the years, reaching maturity somewhere between five and ten years.
Source: RHS
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Direct sun
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
7–32 °C
Gritty, fast-draining cactus mix
Offsets separated and rooted after callusing
Dilute low-nitrogen cactus feed in spring and summer
Slow
Ring of pink-magenta flowers in spring
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Mother Of Hundreds yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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