Say it: pak-ee-SEER-ee-us PRING-lee-eye. Common names: cardon, Mexican giant cardon, elephant cactus.
Where it grows
Baja California and the coast of Sonora in northwestern Mexico, where it forms the great cactus forests of the peninsula. It's the species many visitors to Baja mistake for the saguaro.
Size and growth
The tallest cactus in the world: the biggest plants exceed 60 feet, with thick trunks and many arms, and are thought to live 300 years or more. In cultivation it grows noticeably faster than a saguaro — a seedling can be a foot tall in a few years and makes an impressive landscape plant in mild-winter climates. Young plants are blue-green with a few stout spines.
Flowers
Large white flowers along the upper stems in spring, opening at night and pollinated mainly by bats. Followed by spiny fruit. Flowering takes many years from seed.
Care
- Light: full sun once past the seedling stage.
- Water: regular in summer, dry in winter.
- Soil: deep, fast-draining.
- Cold: more tender than the saguaro. Protect from frost, especially when young.
From seed
Easy and quick: germination in 7–14 days, with vigorous seedlings. A good choice if you want a columnar giant without the saguaro's wait.