Alternate name: Desert Night-blooming Cereus
Family: Cactaceae, Cactus view all from this family
Description Few angular, gray, thin, barely spiny, twiggy stems resembling a small dead bush; flowers large, white.
Flowers: 2-3" (5-7.5 cm) wide, 4-6" (10-15 cm) long, very sweet-scented; petals many.
Stems: About 1" (2.5 cm) wide; ribs 4-6.
Spines: About 1/8" (3 mm) long, mostly lying flat, 11-13 per cluster.
Fruit: Plump, bright red, with many seeds.
Height: 1-3' (30-90 cm).
Flower Usually June.
Habitat Desert flats and washes.
Range Southern Arizona east to western Texas and south to northern Mexico.
Discussion This cactus, sometimes placed in the larger genus Cereus, is inconspicuous most of the year. When in bloom, it is easily spotted only in the evening and early morning when its spectacular night-blooming flowers are open. It is very popular in desert rock gardens and in the cactus trade; when a population is found, all too often the large, turnip-like roots are quickly dug up. It can be grown from stem cuttings, if the cut end is allowed to heal in shade for several weeks before it is planted in dry sand. The plant is legally protected in most of its range and should be left in the wild.
