	height	2–5ft
	width	3–6ft
	tolerates	Drought, Fog, Pots, Rooftops, Wind
	water needs	Low
	water info	Most cactus are from the deserts of the world and as such like to go totally bone dry between waterings, making them very low-maintenance. If you see your cactus begin to shrivel or lose firmness, your cactus is likely totally dry and should be watered. To get good healthy growth your plant doesn’t want to sit around totally dried out during it’s growing season. Once it is dry water it. This cactus comes from an area with summer rainfall and is actively growing during that time, when it is forgiving of overwatering errors. During winter dormancy it should be kept extra dry and will be intolerant of overwatering. Remember that if kept in a small pot your plant will want more frequent watering.
	hardy to	25F
	exposure	Part Shade – Full Sun
	indoor outdoor	Outdoor
	drainage	In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Requires Perfect Drainage, Tolerates Sandy Soil
	fertilizing	All Purpose
	origin	Peru
	california native	No
	sunset zones	13, 15–17, 19–24

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

When planting cactus it’s often best to avoid the spines entirely. This can be done by cutting down each side of the nursery can and then peeling it open to expose the roots. This way you can hold the root ball while planting and you never need to touch the cactus. If the plant is tall and top-heavy, this often isn’t an option. Wrapping such cactus in cardboard makes them more manageable.

While your cactus is out of the nursery can, but before it is planted, is the easiest time to weed right up near the lowest spines. Be sure to pull weeds early with heavily spined cactus, as once they are established they can be difficult to remove.

You may find your cactus develops hard brown scabs that eventually cover the cactus, especially on older growth. This is called corking, and is the natural process of the cactus ‘branch’ becoming a cactus ‘stump’ and getting bark, just like trees do. Corking is totally natural and adds to the beauty of your cactus over time.

Columnar cactus are among the best tall plants for narrow spaces. If they get too tall at any point, they can be topped during their growing season which will encourage them to send out new branches, both at the pruning point and also lower down. These tops are generally easy to root; let them dry for a couple weeks in a bright area and then plant half deep in well-drained cactus mix. Keeping them warm will help them root.

Columnar cactus look best in tall, upright pots or paired with other vertical architecture.

Espostoa lanata

Growing Notes

Special Interest