A questionable population cited from Montrose County, Colorado is probably based on misidentification of juvenile Sclerocactus glaucus . In all, five major populations are known, one in the southwestern corner of Colorado and four in northwestern New Mexico. The Colorado population is on the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation. This species grows on low hills and mesas in full sun in the desert at about 1200-2000 m elevation. Cracks in the clay soil, where the seeds fall and may germinate, are apparently an important part of the plant's microhabitat.
Soils are typically high in selenite.
Sclerocactus mesae-verdae grows on the Colorado Plateau in the floristic province of the Navajoan Desert. In general, the Mesa Verde cactus is restricted to the Mancos and Fruitland Shale Formations. These clay formations erode easily, forming low rolling hills with sparse vegetation. The Mancos and Fruitland Formations have high alkalinity, are gypsiferous, and have shrink-swell properties that make them harsh sites for plant growth. The population of Mesa Verde cactus at Sheep Springs, New Mexico, appears to grow in the Menefee Formation on the tops of hills and mesa slopes.