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4.6 out of 5 (252 experiences)


Also known as
Chin Cactus, Plaid Cactus, Rose Plaid Cactus and Britton & Rose Cactus
Taxonomy
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii
Gymnocalycium
Cactaceae
Caryophyllales

How to care for Moon Cactus

How often to water your Moon Cactus

every 12
Moon Cactus needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12

Check the growing potential in your area
A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Select a city to check sunlight intensity

Finding light for Moon Cactus in your home

a window
Moon Cactus love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Moon Cactus does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Moon Cactus in your home 🏡.

How to fertilize Moon Cactus

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Moon Cactus after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Moon Cactus is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!
Water Needs
Moon Cactus thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Sunlight Needs
Moon Cactus requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
Toxicity
Moon Cactus is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.
Humidity
Moon Cactus prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
Soil
Moon Cactus is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!
Fertilizer
Moon Cactus grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
Native Region
Moon Cactus is native to South America.
Flowers
Moon Cactus produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.
Growth Pattern
Moon Cactus grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.
Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
Moon Cactus can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12b. Find your local hardiness zone here.
Propagation
Moon Cactus can be propagated by division into new individual plants.
- Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
- If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
- Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
- Repot the parent plant back into its original pot
Common Issues
Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Moon Cactus. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.
Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!
Care Summary for Moon Cactus
Moon Cactus
Greg recommends:

0.5 cups every 12 days

< 1ft from a window

Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say












Don't buy this parasitic couple if you're using an indoor grow light...if it's too late then they need direct light on its base and not the colorful top so get your Lego sets out and start building a small house to both hide and help your moon cactus stay happy under direct light ...i used a tall plastic water bottle for a bit because the cap was blocking enough light...sure it's pretty but at what cost...they don't even like each other






love my moon cactus, they look so cool and THEY’RE RED!! I love red. super easy to take care of because it’s a cactus so it doesn’t need a ton of attention and only needs to be watered occasionally but they do tend to die kind of quickly. with my first one, the cactus drank up all the water wayyy too quickly and the red bulb at the top filled with water and it ended up dying after about 7 months. my new one has survived a good six months so far but the bottom that is partially in the soil is starting to wilt. it’s limp and brown but i’m hoping some good old tlc will revive it.





The colorful part and the green part are actually two separate cacti! The colorful one can’t produce chlorophyll, so it’s grafted to the bottom one! It’s actually parasitic, but if the bottom cactus begins to show signs of dying, the top can be removed and re-grafted to a different host to save both cacti!

