Columnar Cacti for the Southwest

These statuesque, treelike beauties add grandeur and drama to any planting

A beautiful matter about cacti is the variety of shapes and size you may retrieve for your specific needs and space . We love having a potpourri of pinnacle in our landscape , which is what spend a penny our dependence to columnar cacti that much more convenient . Columnar cacti are defined as upright , cylinder - mold cacti which may or may not have branches . A large number of columnar cacti are cereoid or genus Cereus , which describes their elongate consistence .

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea, Zones 8–11

The most prevalent and democratic columnlike cactus in the Southwest is saguaro . Saguaro is a symbol of the desert with lifelike branch “ movement ” and grand height . Its limbs often resemble arms and leg , and sometimes it looks like it ’s trip the light fantastic toe in the desert . Saguaros can grow up to 50 feet improbable , but they are very wearisome growers at 1 to 1.5 inches per twelvemonth . Their arms or branches start to grow around the age of 50 to 70 years , look on the mood . In some very low precipitation areas , it can take up to 100 years for an arm to appear . At the long time of 35 , most saguaros get down producing peak . The creamy white blooms bug out to appear in May . In late June and July , the cactus will begin fruiting . debate sacred on the Tohono O’odham native earth here in Arizona , their bahidaj yield has a mystifying cherry-red - pinkish flesh with black seed . This beautiful yield can be used to make crush and sirup similar to the tuna fruit of prickly pear cactus ( Opuntiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–10 ) . institute a untested saguaro in your garden may not bring you insistent gratification in the form of flower and branching , but even smaller Carnegiea gigantea own beauty and effectiveness . institute one is also a direction of passing along that beauty to someone eld down the road . A trick to tell if your sahuaro ask water is to see if you are ineffective to stick two finger’s breadth between its costa . The crocked the rib , the more urine it needs .

Silver torch

Cleistocactus strausii, Zones 9–10

Bringing your middle a bit gloomy to the solid ground , silver torch are hairy - looking , fast - growing cactus that are nothing if not unparalleled . They prosper in full sun or partial shade and are drought insubordinate . fluent woolly mullein rise to 6 to 8 animal foot tall , but the columns are slender . Their almost comedic - look blooms digest perpendicular from them with a deep red hue , but they never open . Silver torches add a fantastic touch of interest to any garden seam or container garden . Since they are vertical grower , they can be constitute in small spaces or when creating a cactus garden . They add the perfect texture and component of surprise .

Mexican fencepost

Pachycereus marginatus, Zones 9b–11

If you ask a number more privateness in your garden or yard , consider planting some Mexican fencepost . These extremely scummy maintenance cacti are slow grow , but open time they can reach up to 20 feet tall . If you ’d like to speed up up the growth process , add some auxiliary H2O ( a biweekly deep tearing ) , but rent the grunge completely dry out before tearing again . The name of this cactus hail from the original use in small towns in Mexico , where these cacti were used as life wall and property divider . Sturdy clusters of the dark green weapons system provide a fantastical backdrop for garden . The spine on the Mexican fencepost are small and look like tailored stitches . When in bloom , Mexican fenceposts farm frail ruby flowers pursue by a xanthous , spiny fruit sometimes shout out koubo .

Totem

Pachycereus schottiif.monstrosus, Zones 9–10

Last but certainly not least , totem is our all - time pet cactus . totem are spineless . How dreamy , correct ? No pokes , pricks , or blood - stain clothes . Beyond that , they are unpredictable with their growth patterns . Some arise mostly upright , while others grow weapon system on their arms . I can aver that although they are regard slow growers , when devote a spot of supplemental H2O ( again , a biweekly rich lachrymation ) , they will grow like weeds . They can grow to heights of 10 to 12 animal foot , although it can take a lifetime to grow that grandiloquent . normally you will see them in the 3 - to-6 - foundation - tall range . Totems produce light pink , night - flower flowers in late springtime . They also can produce a red , egg - shaped yield . ( Since we have never actually seen a totem blossom , this still seems like a turn of an erstwhile wives ’ tale to us , but we trust the authorities . ) Totems not only add a neat conversation bit to any garden , but they bring amazing movement with their gaga twirl and turns . Finally , as with most columnlike cactus , totems can be easily propagated . disseminate is an affordable way to help progress your garden while at the same meter assert the shape of exist cacti .

Whether you ’re living in the heart of the city with only a balcony for container gardening , or you endure with land of landscape to diddle with , incorporating some columniform cacti is by far one the practiced elbow room to try out with various summit and grain . We ’ve only touch on on a fistful of possibilities , but there are so many more to learn about . Be certain to look around next metre you ’re at your local glasshouse . mayhap you’re able to find a fun columnar piece for your space .

— Sheila Schultz and Laurel Startzel are a female parent - girl duo who founded Denver Dirty fille Container Gardening while living in Denver and have continued their patronage since moving to Tucson , Arizona .

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