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Species library › Cephalocereus › Cephalocereus macrocephalus
Succulents Well documented

Cephalocereus macrocephalus

A tall, branching columnar cactus from the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán valley of Puebla and Oaxaca, long known as Neobuxbaumia macrocephala. In the wild it forms giant candelabra; in cultivation it is a slow, sun-loving column that wants a warm summer with rain and a cool, dry winter.

Cephalocereus macrocephalus
Photo: Frank Sengpiel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night A clear drop at nightTargets 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

Columnar-cactus scrub and dry thorn forest on limestone and other rocky slopes of the semi-arid Tehuacán valley.

Recorded at about 1,430-2,270 m, median about 1,690 m.

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

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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.