Xeriscape Landscape Plants For The Arizona Desert Environment
Pictures, Photos, And Planting Information
Cactus

Organ Pipe Cactus, Stenocereus thurberi

Organ Pipe Cactus, Stenocereus thurberi, February 2, 2006. Arrowhead Ranch.

Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi	Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi
Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi	Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi
Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi	Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi

Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi, Cactus Family ( Cactaceae ), Organ Pipe Cactus. A popular landscape plant in Phoenix. Can take full sun but does best in some shade inder a nurse tree when very young. Height: 15 - 20 feet, sometimes up to 25 feet tall.. Stems: 6 inches in diameter, with 12-17 dark - green ribs. 9 - 10 brown 3/8 inch spines grow from the areoles on the crest of the ribs, they turn gray as they age. Flowers: Its flowers are white or pale lavender in color. They mostly bloom at night and and by morning they close up again. Blooming Time: May - July. Fruit & Seeds: The fruits are large and ripen in late summer. They have an edible, red pulp. Leaves: Thorns with a dark central spine, up to 2 inches long with lateral spines 1/2 inch long in vertical rows along the bark ridges, There are areole clusters of 10 - 14 spines less than 1 inch apart. Found: Native Sonoran Desert. Found from Southwestern Arizona South to Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California in Mexico. Elevation: 0 - 3,000 Feet. Habitat: Lower elevations where water is available. It grows well in sand, sandy loam.. It needs good drainage and aeration. It favors southern facing slopes below elevations of 3,000 feet. Miscellaneous: Maintenance: Low. Photos Taken February 2, 2006. In Glendale.