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Species library › Cleistocactus › Cleistocactus pungens
Succulents Well documented

Cleistocactus pungens

A shrubby, spreading columnar cactus endemic to the inter-Andean valleys of Ayacucho and Apurímac in southern Peru, at about 1,100 to 2,400 m. Stems reach 1 to 1.5 m with 12 to 15 ribs and red-purple tubular flowers. It gets warm days, mild nights, summer rain and a long dry winter, so give it full sun, a mineral mix and a dry winter rest.

Cleistocactus pungens
Photo: Antoine MARNAT, 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

Dry, sunny slopes of inter-Andean valleys with scrub, where the stems sprawl among rocks and shrubs.

Reported from 1,100 to 2,400 m; the measured sites lie at 1,637 to 2,720 m.

AyacuchoApurímacCuscoPeru

🔒 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.