They are living sculptures, ultimately compact and slow, rare but not impossible to find, not easy but not too difficult to grow. The genus Ariocarpus has been the subject of much affection and attention by growers and botanists, but also has been surrounded by many myths that persist to date which I would like to challenge from the very beginning. Contrary to popular belief ariocarpi do not present any special problems in cultivation. An Ariocarpus , if cared for properly, will grow steadily and flower reliably. In my Mediterranean climate ariocarpi certainly appreciate some shading and require as much water as all other cacti, especially if grown in clay pots.
Ariocarpus seedlings are exceptionally prone to rot.
In my experience this is not true, in fact, I have come to realize that Ariocarpus seedlings benefit, more so than other cacti seedlings, from a humid closed environment during their first year of growth. This was actually the cornerstone in developing a reliable method for raising Ariocarpus from seed. Plants with locality data are rare but documented seed is plentiful. I suppose that I should include here the wild population protection argument, but I am not sure whether it is relevant any longer, I have not seen many field-collected Ariocarpus for sale recently. The mix is moistened and baked for two hours.