This small cactus has small cylinders that are green and surrounded by white spines. Because the needles are perpendicular to the plant, you do not have to worry about this plant hurting you. In cooler months, the plant will produce small white and creamy flowers. The small globe clusters are densely covered with the radial spines, giving the impression of a white “thimble”. The clusters grow to form large mats over time.
Growing Thimble Cactus
This plant is winter hardy only in zones 9 - 11. You should also provide winter protection from frost to prevent the plant from scarring. You can grow these cactus indoors if given at least 5 hours of sunlight. This is a great plant for beginners, as it does not require much care or attention besides ensuring there is enough sunlight. You can also grow this plant outdoors in the warmer months, and bring it back inside before the first frost. During the winter it prefers to have very little water. These do requires porous cactus soil wherever you choose to grow it.
Thimble Cactus Plant Facts
|USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11|
|Foliage Color(s): Green, White, Cream|
|Exposure: Full Sun|
|Height: 5-6 Inches|
|Spread: 2-6 Inches|
|Soil Type: Porous, Rocky, Sandy|
|Drought Tolerant: Yes|
|Other Uses: Rock & Container Gardens|
|Scientific Name: Mammillaria gracilis fragilis|
|Common Name: Thimble Cactus|
|Other Name(s): Cactus Succulent|
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Plant Addict Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts guarantees your plant(s) will arrive happy and healthy, but the plant(s) are being shipped through the mail and accidents happen. If the plant is dead, has dried out roots or the incorrect item was shipped just notify Plant Addicts within 3 days upon delivery. We may ask for pictures but will try to make it as easy as possible for you. Please note plant(s) with damaged branches or wilted leaves will not qualify for this guarantee. Plants are very resilient and will rebound quickly when cared for correctly.
For information on how to care for you new plant please check out our guide. Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
We encourage all plant lovers to purchase the Plant Addicts Warranty whether you’re new or an expert. There are many variables outside our control and yours that can cause the demise of your plant(s). Examples would be hungry animals, drought, poor soil conditions, over watering, disease, insects & many other factors. The Plant Addicts Warranty is a 1 year warranty protecting you from all the unknowns and will replace your plant if it moves on to the plant afterlife.
The warranty is purchased on a per plant basis and must be purchased at the same time as the plant purchase. We will cover 100% of the price of the plant but the warranty does not cover shipping cost. Simply let us know if your plant has died within one year of receiving it and we’ll get you a new one shipped out. We may ask for photos for documentation purposes but again we’ll try to make it as easy as possible.
For more information, please go to our Shipping & Returns page at the bottom of the website.
Standard Colors: 7-10 business days
Speical Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On speical orders there can not be any cancellations
Time of Order:
Winter to Early Spring
- Is it warm enough to plant in the customer’s growing zone?
- What areas does the plant has to travel through from our nursery to your home?
- Is the plant at the nursery ready to ship.
- The plants from the South will naturally be ready sooner than the plants from the North (If you have questions or concerns about when a plant will ship please email us at firstname.lastname@example.org)
- If there is extreme heat we’ll delay shipping.
- We’ll have to review what areas the plants are traveling through along with your location
Fall into Winter
- We’ll ship all the way up to the end of the fall planting season!
- Get your order in now to reserve you plants for Spring planting!
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an email with tracking information. Depending on the above criteria we’ll ship your plant(s) towards beginning of the following week from your order. We put together this helpful guide of what to do when you receive your plants in the mail.
It is important to know that all of our plants are clearly labeled for which growing zones the plant can survive in. The plants are thoroughly trialed and tested in every growing zone before we state the plant can grow in a zone. Again, our #1 priority is to ship the plants to you healthy and ready to thrive in your location. So we will do everything in our power to do so.