James H. Schutte
Family
Cactaceae
Botanical Name
CEREUS stenogonus
Plant Common Name
Candelabra Tuna Cactus, Night-blooming Cactus, Rose Cereus
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Nine-inch-long (22 cm), rosy pink, trumpet-shaped flowers grace the skinny, upright stems on Cereus stenogonus. This succulent cactus is native to the arid Chaco highlands of Paraguay and northern Argentina. It develops a thicket of vertical, slender stems, much like a cluster of pipes or flagpoles.
This tree-like cactus has two to three spines in clusters on the four or five ribbed stems. There are no leaves, but the slender, upright pale to blue-green stems photosynthesize sunlight. Its large pale pink and deep rose flowers are tubular, many petaled and night blooming, though they will remain open up until the early morning hours. They are fragrant and may be pollinated by bees and moths. They give way to egg-shaped, red, smooth-skinned fruits packed with sweet white flesh and tiny black, crunchy seeds. The fruit is edible and tastes like watermelon (if you can get to it before the birds and bats do).
This cactus is for hot, dry conditions but performs better if some irrigation occurs in the heat of summer. Keep the soil very dry in winter. It needs some protection from direct afternoon sun in the low desert, but its fruits grow sweetest in extreme heat. Do not plant outdoors in regions that receive hard freezes in winter. Grow it as a stark, architecturally interesting accent in a spacious rockery or desert xeriscape garden. When small, grow it as a containerized houseplant.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
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USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 14
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Cactus or Succulent
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun
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Height
14'-26' / 4.3m - 7.9m
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Width
6'-15' / 1.8m - 4.6m
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
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Native To
South America, Argentina
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Xeric/Desert, Drought Tolerant
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Habit
Upright/Erect
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
