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Species library › Cephalocereus › Cephalocereus polylophus
Succulents Partly documented

Cephalocereus polylophus

A tall, usually unbranched columnar cactus with many narrow ribs and dark red flowers near the top, from the dry canyons of central-east Mexico. It was formerly Neobuxbaumia polylopha. Young plants make handsome, slow, symmetrical columns that want strong sun, warmth and a dry winter.

Cephalocereus polylophus
Photo: Leonora Enking from West Sussex, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets 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

Arid tropical scrub on canyon slopes and limestone hills in the rain shadow of the Sierra Madre Oriental, growing exposed among other columnar cacti.

Recorded at 315 to 1626 m, with a median of 1113 m.

Mexico GulfMexico Northeast

🔒 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-SA 2.0 licence, unmodified.