- Cochemiea Boolii (formerly known as Mammillaria Boolii) is a small, striking cactus species native - It is native to the lower elevations of the Mexican state of Sonora and the area around Phoenix, Arizona ... somewhat rare, but also seen around southern Arizona - Found near mostly rocky soils, coastal mountains, and in thin forests - Considered "near threatened" by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is under threat by urban development - It was first described as Mammillaria Boolii in 1953 by George Edmund Lindsay - The specific epithet boolii honors the American Herbert W Bool, the discoverer of the species and founder of the Botanical Garden in Phoenix - Blossoms in summer as this one in Jim's yard did!