Frailea is one of the cactus genera that we are always surprised hasn’t joined the ranks of other valuable collector-favorites like Turbinicarpus and Copiapoa. They have all the trappings, including slow growth, being cute/compact/colorful, relatively rare, from an interesting region. The list goes on. Part of the reason may be their copious production of seed, making them very available when they pop up, but impossible to find when they don’t. That’s why we never turn down the chance to grow a new species, the variety of which never ceases to surprise. This fuzzy little species, sometimes offered as F. buenekeri var. densispina, is reminiscent of some Mexican cacti like Epithelantha or dwarf Mammillaria, but grows near the village of Vila Nova do Sul in the southernmost part of Brazil near the Uruguay border. Like other members of the genus, it boldly announces its imminent flowers in the form of relatively massive fuzzy buds that emerge spontaneously from the crown, engulfing the cactus as it unfolds to a yellow bloom that pollinators find irresistible.
