Cleistocactus winteri

The golden rat-tail cactus (often grown as Hildewintera or Winterocereus aureispinus), a pendent, golden-spined cactus from a small area of the eastern Andean foothills of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It wants bright light, warm summers with regular water and a cooler, drier winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Hangs in long trailing stems from rock faces and cliffs in dry inter-Andean valleys; the habitat comes from the general literature on the species, not from the few GBIF records.

Wild plants are reported from mid-elevation Andean foothill valleys, roughly 1,200–1,800 m; the GBIF records carry no elevation.

BoliviaSanta Cruz

🔒 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.