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Species library › Pilosocereus › Pilosocereus polygonus
Succulents Partly documented

Pilosocereus polygonus

A shrubby to tree-like columnar cactus endemic to Hispaniola, with grey-green ribbed stems and woolly flowering areoles. It comes from hot, dry lowland scrub and wants warmth all year, strong sun and a free-draining mix. It does not like cold.

Pilosocereus polygonus
Photo: The_Cactaceae_Vol_II,_plate_IV_filtered.jpg: Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961)Daniel Schweich for the filtred image. derivative work: Succu (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets 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 thorn scrub and dry forest on the arid lowlands and coastal plains of Hispaniola, such as the Enriquillo and northwestern valleys, often on limestone or rocky ground among other cacti and shrubs.

Mostly near sea level to a few hundred metres. One measured site at 1,240 m carries much of the climate weight and is probably atypical.

Dominican RepublicHaiti

🔒 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-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.