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Species library › Pilosocereus › Pilosocereus leucocephalus
Succulents Well documented

Pilosocereus leucocephalus

A tall, tree-like columnar cactus of the dry tropical forests and scrub of Mexico and Central America, with woolly hair at the flowering tips. It is a warm-growing plant: give it full sun, summer water and a dry winter rest that never gets cold.

Pilosocereus leucocephalus
Photo: Peter A. Mansfeld, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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

Dry deciduous forest, thorn scrub and rocky slopes in seasonally dry tropical landscapes, where it is an important food and water source for birds and bats.

Records span 66–1,983 m, median 435 m.

Mexico NortheastMexico GulfMexico NorthwestMexico SoutheastMexico SouthwestGuatemalaHondurasNicaragua

🔒 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

Grow Pilosocereus leucocephalus? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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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 3.0 licence, unmodified.