Pachycereus pringlei (Store pickup) | Giant cardon
€371,00
Pachycereus pringlei (S.Watson) Britton & Rose
🌱 Morphology
Arborescent columnar cactus of extraordinary dimensions, capable of reaching 15–20 m in height and over 1 m in diameter in exceptional specimens. It develops a very thick trunk and numerous ascending branches, generally beginning to branch at a certain height. Young stems feature 10–16 obtuse ribs and densely arranged areoles; adult plants significantly reduce their spination and acquire a bluish-green epidermis. Young spines are robust, whitish to grayish, up to about 3 cm long.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Species endemic to the Sonoran Desert, distributed throughout much of the Baja California peninsula, numerous islands in the Gulf of California, and the coastal strip of Sonora, Mexico. It grows on both alluvial plains and rocky slopes, from areas near sea level to higher altitudes. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Cactoideae.
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
Tolerates minimum temperatures down to −4 ºC when kept dry and with well-acclimated specimens. It is a species sensitive to intense frosts, especially in young specimens, so cold must always be combined with a completely dry substrate.
☀️ Lighting
Requires direct sun and very intense lighting to develop compact growth and a robust structure. During active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended as a reference.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the cold months, it is kept practically dry. In spring and summer, it can receive deep, spaced-out waterings, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between them. In cultivation, persistent excess moisture must be avoided, especially when temperatures drop.
🌸 Flowering
To see its first bloom, one must wait at least 20-25 years. The flowers are white to creamy-white, infundibuliform or bell-shaped, up to about 8 cm, and appear mainly during spring and early summer. They open at dusk and remain open for part of the morning, being visited by nectarivorous bats, as well as birds and insects. The fruits are globose and covered with areoles with yellowish felt; upon ripening, they contain a juicy pulp and numerous large seeds.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with high content in assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae, applied once a month during watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
45x45 cm pots
Height excluding pot: 105 cm
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