Monstrosa Cactus (Cereus peruvianus monstrosa) Height: 15'. Width 10'. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow to moderate growth rate. White and pink flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A mutated variety of the Peruvian Apple Cactus, has a more blue color with bent and twisted ribs. A must in any xeriscape garden, the unique appeal of a different look and great color, the monstrosa has the same flower production and sweet smell but a totally different look.Myrtle Cactus (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) Height: 10'. Width: 5'. Cold tolerant to 30 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow growth. Partial sun. This cactus is a very unusual cactus having a bluish color with dark thorns. Generally shorter and more compact than other upright cactus, it is really distinguished by a florescent blue sphere that appears between the thorns. For those looking for something different, this is a great specimen to try.
Organ Pipe Cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) Height: 15'. Width: 10'. Cold tolerant to 30 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Full sun to partial shade. Organ Pipe Cactus is a underused specimen plant, with tall branching arms and a wonderful structure. The name says it all, a mature plant has several arms growing straight up with no lateral branching. All the arms of the Organ Pipe originate from the base giving it look of its own.
Peruvian Apple Cactus (Cereus peruvianus) Height: 20'. Width: 15'. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow to moderate growth rate. White and pink flowers. Full to partial shade. A specimen of cacti that grows in Tucson with little or no care. This plant can put on quite a show in summer when the almost 10 inch flowers opens up at night and gives a sweet fragrant smell. Be careful of its size. The cacti can be easily propagated but be weary it loses some of it character when heavily pruned.
Queen of the Night (Cereus greggi) Height: 8'. Width: 3'. Cold tolerant to 15 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. White flowers. Partial sun to filter. The native cereus is a jewel in our sometimes unforgiving desert. This plant makes the papers every year because of its perfect white, fragrant flowers that appear only at night and fade by morning light in the summer months. This specific cereus is very much an ugly duckling of its family, being skinny and lacking it's own strength to hold itself up but planted at the foot of a Pa
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) Height: 60'. Width: 15'. Cold tolerant to 20 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow growth rate. White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. The most well known Tucson native, one of the most striking cactus in all the world. It's large presence can be a great focal point in a landscape, drawing a wondering eye to this giant, unworldly succulent that is a constant reminder of a desert's beauty. Watch for the push of growth at the very tip of a saguaro spear for what looks like a snow cap. As the cactus grows higher the infant thorns will be white indicating a healthy saguaro. Senita Cactus (Lophocereus schottii) Height: 15'. Width: 10'. Cold tolerant to 25 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow growth. White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. A nice vertical cactus that has a lime green skin with few thorns except for the new growth tip. The Senita is not a very reliable flowering cactus but is great height with few smaller thorns.
Totem Pole Cactus (Lophocereus schottii 'monstrosa') Height: 15'. Width: 10'. Cold tolerant to 25 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Slow growth. White flowers. Full sun to partial shade. Totem pole is a fantastic cactus for the Sonoran desert a completely thornless cactus with unusual branching. Much like it cousin
Tricocereus species (No Common Name) (Tricocereus species) Height: 4'. Width: 6'. Cold tolerant to 20 degrees. Low water use. Evergreen. Flower color depends on variety. Half day sun or partial shade. Tricocereus is becoming a very popular variety of cacti because of it's incredible flowers. Some varieties bloom 4 or 5 times in a summer in a rainbow of colors and have flowers as big as a 8 inches. The Tricocereus is still a cereus so the color can only be enjoyed at night but it is definitely worth it.
