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Species library › Harrisia › Harrisia portoricensis
Succulents Partly documented

Harrisia portoricensis

A slender, sparsely branched columnar cactus up to 2-3 m. In the wild it now survives only on Mona, Monito and Desecheo islands off Puerto Rico, and it is federally listed as threatened. It grows in hot, sunny, dry scrub on bare limestone, so grow it hot and bright, keep it dry, and give it mineral soil.

Harrisia portoricensis
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-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

Dry coastal scrub on exposed limestone. Large plants lean on surrounding shrubs for support.

Sea level to about 150 m.

Puerto RicoDominican Republic

🔒 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 Public domain licence, unmodified.