Aztekium hintonii / 10 seeds

Aztekium hintonii is a species of cactus endemic to Nuevo Leon, northeast Mexico. It’s restricted to a very small area in Galeana, Nuevo Leon. Aztekium hintoniii has a very unique globular shape of 10 cm of diameter which has well-defined ribs, with tiny wrinkles. This plant grows in great numbers on almost vertical walls in landscape of sharply incised canyons. It is the second species of Aztekium discovered by George Sebastian Hinton, after whom it’s named. These small plants grow solitarily and their stems are green to greyish-green. Rarely they grow in clusters forming clumps of a few heads. Apex is slightly woolly. The globular stem has 10-15 acute, very prominent 6-12mm deep ribs. Along the edge of these ribs there are small and numerous areoles which are woolly in youth and 4 mm apart. There are 3 13-mm long greyish-white curved spines which are short-lived and are not distinguishable as centrals and radials. Mature areoles often lack spines, and even in young areoles they are mostly reduced and very brittle. During July – August, when summer temperatures are the highest, at the stem tips, diurnal very attractive magenta flowers are produced which are 1-3 cm in diameter. These turn into round to elongated fruits hidden within the woolly top of the stem. They are smooth, thin walled and dry up at maturity and contain shiny brownish black tuberculate around 1 mm long and 0.5 mm in diameter.
Aztekium hintonii needs good drainage and regular watering in summer. It also needs to be completely dried out for its winter dormancy when it can withstand temperatures as low as -4-degree C for short periods. During its growing period of spring and summer, it needs regular watering, whereas during dormancy in the late fall and winter, you should not water the plant at all. During the growth period, soak and dry method is the best way. You should water the plant when the soil is bone dry and then soak the plant in water; but do not let the water pool in the soil as it can cause root rot. In case of grafted specimens, you should remember that the graft stock is also a cactus and will rot if overwatered. So, careful watering is needed for grafted specimens too.
You can fertilize your Aztekium hintonii once at the start of the growing season to give the plant a boost with a fertilizer made specifically for cacti. Then you can follow a monthly feeding routine until the growing season is over. Dilute the fertilizer so as to maintain the natural growth cycle without changing it too much.

The soil for Aztekium hintonii should be extremely loose and gritty, so it can drain all the excess water out. You should avoid alkaline soil and keep the pH neutral. Of course, this is not necessary for grafted specimens.
Aztekium hintonii grow best in full sun but also prefers some shade. Half shade helps to maintain the luster of its spines and keeps the plant compact. The bright sun the plant enjoys should reach it in a filtered or indirect manner. Too much direct sun can scorch the plant and prevents its growth.
Once established, Aztekium hintonii is very easy to manage and grow. Sometimes it’s grafted to increase the growth speed.

As such, Aztekium hintonii is pest- and disease-free, although you should watch out for red spider mite and mealy bugs that can damage stems and roots. Pests and insects can be completely avoided with proper care conditions.
This cactus is almost exclusively propagated by seeds, although it’s also propagated from cuttings. Seeds germinate readily, but germination rate is low. But the seedlings are very slow growing and take one or two years to reach the diameter of 2 mm. Once it becomes 4-year-old or more, it becomes relatively easy to grow. It reaches 2 cm of diameter in around 8 years and needs very careful watering. It needs 12 years or more to reach the flowering size.