Giant Cereus (Carnegia gigantea), Serpentinus (Cereus serpentinus), Peruvian (Peruvianus), Validus and others: a description of the types of cacti, the nuances of care and photos

Cereus (Cereus) - a representative of the cactus family, translated from Latin means "Wax candle." In nature, there are 2500-3000 species of cacti Cereus. All plants have a morphological similarity - a juicy fleshy stem and thorns.

Some of these exotic plants help to create a unique office and home flavor, in pot growing conditions reaching from one to several meters in height. The presence of a beautiful container, plus the fantasy of a grower, multiplied by the species diversity of succulents, and the room will be transformed.

Popular types and varieties of cacti and their photos

Consider what popular plant varieties exist. In the photo you can see how cacti look.

Giant

Giant Cereus (Carnegia gigantea) - a true giant of the cactus family, he became part of the history of cinema as the iconic "western cactus" featured in many western films. In Arizona, giant cacti form entire forests and are officially recognized as the state symbol of this region. Their appearance is so impressive and unique that the Saguaro National Park is dedicated to them.

The cactus grows up to 20 m tall, looks like a tree. It is columnar in shape, the stem and branches are tall and thin, like columns. The ribbed stem (trunk) consists of 10-24 ribs and can reach a diameter of 75 cm. The length of the spines reaches 7 cm. The cactus begins to bloom, reaching 30-35 years and a height of about 2.0 m.

Flowering at night, occurs in May-June. Flowers - large, single, white, orange, yellow, green or purplish red. The first branches that grow on the sides of the stem appear only after reaching a height of 4-5 m and an age of 50-70 years.

Reference! The root system is powerful in the giant Cereus, the roots go into the soil to a depth of about 1.5 m. This species is resistant to extremely high and low temperatures. The fruits are edible.

Spiral

Spiral (Cereus brasile) is a rare form of columnar cactus with a fleshy stem and spiral (twisted) growth, as the name implies. Shoots can be spherical, embossed or flat. Many short spikes up to 2-3 cm long are formed on the shoots. Flowering is plentiful in summer. The flowers are beautiful and large pink and white.

Canadian

Cereus canadian (Cereus canadensis) is a tall tree-like cactus that grows in the western part of the USA, with a ribbed stem of grayish-green color. Spines of a reddish-brown color. Known for its large, usually fragrant, nocturnal blooming white flowers. One of the largest in the cactus family. Often grown in greenhouses and rooms, the species is actively used in landscaping.

Azure

Cereus azure (Cereus azureus) - the cactus was named due to the bluish or bluish-green color of the stem. The trunk is powerful columnar and highly branched. The flowers are white, cup-shaped or of an unusual elongated-funnel shape, reach 25 cm, nocturnal, exude a pleasant aroma. The fruit is red or yellow, usually edible, and the seeds are black. This exotic species is especially popular among gardeners.

Peruvian

Cereus peruvian (Cereus peruvianus) - this plant surprises with huge heady-aromatic snow-white flowers and edible tasty fruits. The fruits of cereus are also called Peruvian apples or apples of the desert. The fleshy, juicy fruit has a pronounced delicate "cactus" taste and aroma.

Cactus juice lowers blood sugar and cholesterolhelps with diabetes, hypertension, asthma and whooping cough, which leads to its use for medicinal purposes. Exotic, beautiful, this species is ideally suited for indoor cultivation. Due to its relatively small size, Peruvian Cereus has become a fashionable and popular plant.

Strong

Strong Cereus (Cereus validus) - a shrubby or tree-like species up to 2 meters high is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Validus is widely distributed in various habitats: on arid plains, forests, hilly and salt marshes.

It reaches a height of about 2 meters (sometimes 7 m or more). It features a straight stem with branching cylindrical shoots bluish green or light green in color and armed with long spikes. The surface of the stem is ribbed; there are about 7 (8) pronounced wide ribs.

The number of lateral succulent shoots is 5-8 pieces, with a thickness of 5 to 10 cm (up to 13 cm at the base) of light olive or gray-green color. Areoles are small, round, slightly pubescent. Spines of yellowish-gray shoots, straight, stiff, up to 2 cm long.

The central spines are usually 2-3 pieces, they are longer, have a dark gray color. In the spring, before the beginning of summer, it produces single large funnel-shaped flowers, white or pinkish-white inside and reddish on the outer edge 16.5-20 cm long and 8-12 cm in diameter.

Repandus

Cereus repandus (Cereus repandus) - large, erect, prickly columnar cactus with cylindrical gray-green and blue stems, up to 10 m high and up to 20 cm in diameter. Night flowers up to 15 cm long remain open only for one night. The fruit, known as the Peruvian apple, is without thorns, from violet-red to yellow and up to 5 cm in diameter. According to most sources, Cereus repandus is one of the names of Peruvian Cereus, which is due to many similar morphological characteristics of plants.

Yamakaru

Cereus Yamacaru (Cereus jamacaru) is found in northeastern Brazil, the West Indies, as well as in some vast island territories. This cactus has spread far beyond its natural habitats, in all climatic zones from the coast to the desert, growing both in rocky and sandy soil, as well as on rocks, and has become an invasive plant.

It is a tree-like cactus up to 12 meters high. The stalk is columnar, cylindrical, with a ribbed surface - has 6 ribs of gray-green color. Numerous branches with formidable spikes are raised up, forming a compact top. Spines of a light yellow hue, red-brown at the base, 1.5 to 20 cm long.

The flowers are large and white with a fragrant odor, with a diameter of up to 20-25 centimeters. They bloom at dusk and wither by morning, bloom only at night. The fruit of the plant has a very rich purple color. Edible flesh of white color with tiny black seeds.

Uruguayan

Uruguayan Cereus (Cereus uruguayanus) is the geographical and morphological form of the widespread cereus, which is found only in Uruguay. This perennial tree-like cactus that grows like a candelabrum with numerous columnar branches, 5-15 m high, about 1.5 m in diameter. The trunk with 4-5-6-8 ribs, often with large yellow spots on the sides, is covered with a wax coating bluish tint.

Spiked needles, golden yellow or brown, up to 2 cm longformed in groups. The areoles at the top of the plant often have more spikes, longer and pubescent. The flower is large, nocturnal, elongated, funnel-shaped, with a length of 20 to 30 cm and up to 15 cm in diameter.

The outer segments of the perianth are reddish-brown, the inner segments are white, wide and dull. The buds grow quickly, bursting from the branches, like little snakes. Within two weeks, dozens of flowers open, always at night and almost simultaneously.

By the middle of the next day, all the flowers close and fade, which, apparently, is a cactus water conservation strategy. The flowers are followed by succulent goose-egg-sized fruits containing a delicate sweet white flesh with crispy black seeds.

Serpentinus

Cereus serpentinus (Cereus serpentinus) - fast-growing slender shrubby columnar cactithat often grow in groups. The stem is serpentine, dark, cylindrical, 3-6 meters long, 2.5-5 cm in diameter. There are 10-17 blunt ribs on the stem, areoles white and slightly pubescent.

Spikes are needle-like - from 9 to 14 whitish-reddish. Young spikes, with darker tips, 10-30 mm long. Adult plants with large funnel-shaped flowers. They are white with pinkish outer segments, from 15 to 20 cm long (15 cm in diameter), very fragrant.

Fruits 4-6 cm long, ovoid, red, edible, prickly. When the fruits ripen, the thorns fall off. In Mexico, it is one of the most widely cultivated species because of the beauty of the white flowers that open at night.

Plant Care Rules

General care

Cereus is unpretentious, therefore it is easy to keep at home. This is a photophilous culture, needs a lot of light, loves the sun's rays and tolerates hot summers. In winter, it is important to provide the plant with a complete dormant period under bright light and at a low temperature of no higher than 15 ° C. Watering is carried out infrequently, increasing intensity in the summer. In the summer months, you can sometimes do spraying to accumulate sufficient fluid in the tissues without excessive soil moisture.

Temperature. The plant tolerates high (+ 25 ° С and more) and low (+8 ° С) temperatures well. Periodically you need to ventilate the room, it is not necessary to take out the plant. In winter, it is recommended to keep cool at a temperature of +15 to + 18 ° C.
Watering. From April to September, regular abundant watering of the plant is required. In winter, the plant should not be watered, as this can cause decay of the root system. Watering in winter is allowed no more than 1 time in 1.5 months with a small amount of warm water.
Humidity. In the summer dry period, cereus can be sprayed with stagnant water at room temperature or brought to the level of 40-50 ° C. It is better to spray in the morning, when the sunlight is not yet intense enough.
The soil. All cacti love permeable soil mixed with crushed limestone, gravel, charcoal. The soil substrate should consist of 2 parts of turf, 2 parts of leafy soil, 1 part of clay and 1 part of coarse sand. At the bottom of the pot, create a drainage layer of shards and small pebbles.
Fertilizers. For the normal growth and development of cereus, regular monthly feeding is needed, which is carried out from April to July. Liquid fertilizers for cacti are well suited for this (use the dosages indicated on the packaging). If the soil is nutritious, it is enough to fertilize the soil once a year.
Rest period. It is very important to provide the plant with a dormant period in the winter, completely stopping care: watering and fertilizing. Place the cereus in a cool and well-lit place, safely "forget" about it until spring.
Transfer. The need for transplantation occurs if the plant loses its beautiful appearance, elasticity and color, as a rule, after several years of growth in the same substrate.Reference! It is better to transplant plants during active growth in May-June or August-September.

Cereus are unpretentious. In order for cacti to grow, develop and bloom normally, they need to create conditions similar to the natural conditions of living: in winter, low temperatures, and in spring and summer - high. Make it easy. Thanks to simple care, good immunity from pests and an exotic look, the flower will become a worthy decoration of the home environment or office space.