€7,95

Stenocereus pruinosus (Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb. 

🌱 Morphology
Arborescent and highly branched cactus, capable of reaching 4–8 m in height, with a defined trunk and a broad canopy formed by second and third-order branches. The stems are dark green to glaucous green, with 5–8 prominent, straight or slightly wavy ribs. The areoles, separated by several centimeters, feature light-colored felt. It develops 5–9 radial spines up to 3 cm long and up to 4 central spines, which are more robust and can reach 4 cm. The apex of the shoots presents a characteristic whitish pruinosity, responsible for the specific epithet pruinosus.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Native mainly to Mexico, especially Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guerrero, also extending through other regions of Mexico and Central America. It lives in xerophilous scrub and tropical deciduous forest, at an altitude of approximately 300 to 1,900 m. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, subfamily Cactoideae, and tribe Pachycereeae. It is a species traditionally cultivated for its edible fruits, the well-known pitayas. (Do not confuse with Pitahaya)

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9a
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −4 ºC when kept dry and in well-acclimatized specimens. In cultivation, it is especially important to avoid cold combined with humidity.

☀️ Lighting
It needs direct sun and very intense lighting. During active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended. Intense sun promotes the formation of robust stems and the development of the characteristic pruinosity on the shoots.

💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Winter dormancy. During the cold months, it is kept practically dry. In spring and summer, it is recommended to water abundantly, allowing the substrate to dry out completely between waterings. At the end of summer, water applications are gradually spaced out.

🌸 Flowering
It can flower from 2–3 years of age when grown from large cuttings, while there is no reliable equivalent age for specimens obtained from seeds (perhaps more than 15 years). The flowers are white, tubular, and infundibuliform, about 8–10 cm long, and open mainly at night, remaining open until the following morning. Natural flowering is concentrated between March and May.

🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Cactaceae NPK (Ca-Mg) 4-4-7 (4-4) is recommended. Assimilable calcium promotes the formation of firm tissues and the maintenance of turgor, while magnesium participates in chlorophyll synthesis.

🪴 Presentation
Delivered in a 9x9 cm pot.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly, because, after all, it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.

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