- The pillar cactus comes from South America
- Identify pillar cactus
- The columnar cactus rarely blooms in room culture
- Known species of cereus
The pillar cactus or cereus is probably one of the most commonly grown cactus species. The not very easy-care cactus is represented in numerous species. They differ not only in shape and color, but also in flowers and flowering times. Not all can be cultivated indoors.
The Cereus peruvianus bears beautiful flowers
The pillar cactus comes from South America
The homeland of the pillar cactus is South America. There it grows in predominantly rocky terrain. It stores water in its trunks and tolerates dry periods well. Hardy is none of the many species of cereus. You must therefore always overwinter them indoors.
Identify pillar cactus
There are numerous very different looking species of Cereus. In contrast to leafy cacti, however, they have some common characteristics.
Columnar cacti always grow upright with only one or more stems. Some species are hairy, others are armed with thick, strong thorns.
Flower shapes range from drooping long white-red flowers to red, upright flowers.
The columnar cactus rarely blooms in room culture
For a cereus to flower, it must be several years old. If it is only kept indoors, it almost never flowers. Only when it is given a rest period in winter does it occasionally bloom.
Most of the cereus species kept here have their flowers open only at night and close again in the morning.
Known species of cereus
| offered. Surname | shape | color | ribs | blossom | flower color | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cereus jamacaru | single stem | bluish green | 6 - 10 | up to 20 cm long | white-greenish | long, sharp thorns |
| Cereus peruvianus | single stem | bluish green | 5 - 8 | up to 15 cm long | white-pink | few sharp thorns |
| Cephalocereus senilis | multi-stemmed | white haired | 20 - 30 | short, standing | Red | also called old man's head |
| Cleistocactus strausii | multi-stemmed | green | 25 - 30 | tubular protruding | wine red | also called silver candle |
| Cereus peruvianus | multi-stemmed | green-bluish | 9 - 10 | 12 to 15 cm | reddish tips | also called rock cactus |
tips
Not all columnar cacti have long thorns. In some species, however, these are very pronounced, while others have very soft, small spines. Therefore, be careful, especially if children and pets are part of the family.