Gardening 101: Totem Pole Cactus - Gardenista

Gardening 101: Totem Pole Cactus - Gardenista
If your idea of a cactus is a hostile, squatty little plant bristling with dangerous spines and gathering dust on someone’s windowsill, then you really should broaden your knowledge of this fascinating desert flora.
Senita Cactus, Lophocereus schottii v. monstrosus: “Totem Pole Cactus”
For instance, you could investigate the genus Lophocereus (also known as Pachycereus).
Lophocereus in the collection at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in A Magical Glasshouse Garden in Pasadena. Also known as the Totem Pole Cactus, the monstrosus is the result of a naturally occurring mutation and is native to a small area on the Baja California Peninsula.
Photograph by Laure Joliet.
Photograph by Raffi Kojian via Wikimedia.
Keep It Alive
Totem Pole cactus works well in xeriscapes and its tall shape can provide attractive vertical interest. Traditional organic mulches which retain moisture in the soil can be harmful to cacti. .
Photograph by Raffi Kojian via Wikimedia.
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