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Species library › Acanthocereus › Acanthocereus maculatus
Succulents Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Acanthocereus maculatus

A little-documented Mexican Acanthocereus, a ribbed, spiny cactus of the kind that sprawls or scrambles through dry tropical scrub and opens large white flowers at night. Grow it hot, bright and dry through winter, then water freely in the summer rains.

Acanthocereus maculatus
Photo: P Gonzalez Zamora, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Known from very few records in central and southwestern Mexico; the single measured site lies in the foothills of Guerrero. Like its relatives it most likely grows in seasonally dry tropical forest and thorn scrub, leaning on shrubs or rocks.

The one measured site sits near 850 m; elevation range for the species is not documented.

Mexico CentralMexico Southwest

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Acanthocereus maculatus? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 4.0 licence, unmodified.