Pachycereus (Cactus)

Its name derives from Greek and literally means "large candle", referring to its columnar habit (typical of the Cereus genus) and to the considerable size it can reach. For that reason it is also commonly known as an "elephant cactus": few people know that in nature this spectacular plant reaches even a meter in diameter and over 20 meters in height! As it grows, it tends to lose its spines in the lower part of the stem and lignify, as if to assume an aspect that indicates its old age, obviously understood in a positive sense, because this solemn cactacea will really be able to beautify your gardens "forever”, enriching them with large nocturnal flowers, which adorn the long and spiky stem of the plant! Here are some tips for its cultivation: It likes very bright places, however, avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. It is preferable to keep it at mild temperatures and never below 5 °C, for this reason it is recommended to shelter it during the winter period. Water moderately but only when the soil is completely dry. Water it once a week in spring and summer and once a month in autumn and winter. A well-draining and porous soil is an optimal solution, even better if further enriched with inert materials such as pumice or lapilli. They do not need frequent fertilization, it is sufficient to dilute the fertilizer with watering once a year.