Pilosocereus chrysacanthus

A tall columnar cactus with golden spines, centred on the Tehuacán–Cuicatlán valley of Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico, with scattered records east to Honduras. It wants full sun, a dry and fairly cool winter rest, and warm, wet summers.

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

Semi-arid scrub and dry tropical forest on rocky slopes and valley floors, inferred from where the records cluster. It grows fully exposed to the sun.

Recorded at 110–2264 m, median 1544 m (113 records).

Mexico CentralMexico GulfMexico SouthwestHonduras

🔒 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 2.0 licence, unmodified.