Myrtillocactus schenckii

A candelabra-shaped tree cactus of the Tehuacán–Cuicatlán and Oaxaca valleys, with bluish-green stems. It wants full sun, heat in the growing season, a pronounced dry winter and a mineral, often calcareous, mix. It is less cold-tolerant than its relative M. geometrizans.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets 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

It grows in xeric scrub and in transitions to low deciduous forest, on limestone and gypsum soils that are often saline, in arid to semi-arid valleys with summer rains.

It is reported mostly at 1,300–2,000 m, with a recorded median of 1,682 m. A few lowland records reach down to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Mexico CentralMexico SouthwestGuatemala

🔒 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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More Myrtillocactus

Myrtillocactus cochal Myrtillocactus geometrizans Myrtillocactus eichlamii

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.