Pachycereus Species, Central Mexico Pipe Organ, Fence Post Cactus, Organo

Makes a dramatic vertical in the garden or landscape. In Mexico, it's traditionally grown in closely spaced rows to form a border/corral/...Read Morefence for excluding livestock and strangers.

Spines are relatively easy to deal with in handling, for a cactus, as they're limited to the edges of the wings. Very easily damaged by bruising. Propagated by inserting callused cuttings directing in the soil where they're to grow.

AKA Marginatocereus marginatus.

Central Phoenix -- It is interesting, given the other comments on Mexican fence post cactus, that I have never experienced scale on any o...Read Moref mine. Two of mine grow with their lower 3-5 feet in partial shade and with water lapping at their base during our flood irrigation every other week from March to November. Despite that they do well, although the tallest, which had reached about 15 feet, had to have it's top cut off after a serious windstorm gave it a decided lean that kept increasing. Mexican fence post cactus makes a great plant for a small area because it is to linear. We have some of them in a narrow bed between the driveway and an east-facing block wall. Despite the harsh environment they do well, even with sporadic water.

Nice cactus but seems very susceptible to scale which the plant will eventually succumb to. The reddish blooming form in more common in h...Read Moreorticulture but I believe the green/yellow blooming form is more common in habitat.

Another synonym is Marginatocereus marginatus. Other common names are: Chilayo, Mexican Fence Post, Organ Cactus & Órgano.