Pilosocereus alensis

A columnar cactus of western Mexico, from Sonora south to Jalisco and beyond. Its flowering areoles carry long white hairs. Bats pollinate the night flowers, which open in early summer. It expects a long, bright, dry winter and spring, then a hot, wet monsoon summer.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets 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

Grows in tropical deciduous forest and thorn scrub on hillsides and in canyons along the Pacific slope, usually in full sun or with light shade from leafless trees in the dry season. These details come from the record spread and from the genus.

Records run from near sea level to about 2,000 m, with a median near 1,000 m. Most come from the Sierra Madre Occidental foothills of Sinaloa and Sonora.

Mexico NorthwestMexico SouthwestMexico CentralMexico 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.