Species library › Pilosocereus › Pilosocereus pachycladus
Succulents Well documented

Pilosocereus pachycladus

A tall, blue-stemmed columnar cactus of the caatinga and rocky campos of eastern Brazil, recorded from near sea level to about 1,400 m. It wants very strong sun, real warmth all year and a dry spell in the southern winter and spring. Cold, wet roots are what kill it in cultivation.

Pilosocereus pachycladus
Photo: Everton 1inaja, CC0, 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

Grows in dry thorn scrub (caatinga) and on rocky outcrops and sandy flats, usually standing above the shrub layer in full sun. Habitat details are inferred from the GBIF record spread and what is known for the genus.

Records run from 0 to 1,400 m, with a median near 500 m. Most sites are in the hot interior lowlands and low plateaus of the northeast.

Brazil NortheastBrazil Southeast

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

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 CC0 licence, unmodified.