Cereus genus of about 30 species of large columnar cacti (family Cactaceae) native to South America. The common name cereus is also broadly applied to any number of “ceroid cacti,” which have elongated bodies; many such cacti are designated with scientific epithets that include the suffix “-cereus” (e.g., Hylocereus, Pachycereus, Selenicereus, and Stenocereus).
The Cereus is easy to cultivate and it is characterized by a rapid growth, this cactus is very popular either for the elongated stem, like a pillar, and for its large and spectacular flowers.
Like all cacti, they are perennials and long-lived. The stem is dark green or bluish, wide, with evident grooves and thorns instead of leaves. In some species it stands straight as a candelabrum, in other it branches at the top.
It can reach several meters in height even if grown in pots, but if planted directly into the ground the development is even more impressive: you can find plants of 10 or even 12 meters high. The Italian climate allows these plants to survive outdoors only in some areas of southern Italy, particularly in Sicily.
Like all cacti, it is devoid of branches and the flowers grow directly from the stem, growing from the areolas. But they are rare in plants grown in pots, that only flourish if they have reached big dimensions.
The flowers are large, with a very strong visual impact. They are white, pink or red, with well-arranged and spiral shape petals and sepals. They only open in the night and leave, as fruit, red or yellow berries, with black seeds, which are often eatable. Being hermaphrodites, all flowers produce, once withered, their fruit.
How to grow and care
Start with a good quality, commercial potting soil for Cacti and Succulents. That will ensure that the soil is sterile and pest-free. Many are available with a mild starter fertilizer in the mix. If you choose to make your own soil mix, combine equal parts sand and general purpose potting soil.
Select a container with a drainage hole or be prepared to drill holes for drainage if there are none.
Prepare the container by filling with potting soil up to 2” (5cm) from the rim of the planter. Make a hole in the center of the soil large enough to hold the root ball of the plant.
If the plant is spiny be sure to wear gloves for protection. Rubber gloves should be fine if handling small-spined plants but if the plant has long or sharp needles, leather gloves offer more protection.
Small plants may be safely moved using kitchen tongs. For moving larger plants, a good method is to wrap the plant with paper towel or tissue paper. For exceptionally large or spiny plants follow with a layer of newspaper or wrapping paper for extra protection. Wrap gently, not too tight, so as not to crush the spines. Tape the outer layer of paper closed at several points to hold snug. Once the plant is moved to its new pot and secure, then the wrappings can be carefully removed.
Remove the plant from its pot. Place it in the planting hole and press soil firmly around the roots, just covering the root ball. For spiny plants, use a stick, spatula, or other utensil to move the soil and to keep distance between your hands and the spines.
Repot every 2 years. Unless the roots are pot-bound the same container can be used. If a larger pot is needed choose one not more than 1-2” (3-5cm) larger in diameter than the existing pot.
LIGHT: Cacti like as much bright indirect light as you can provide. Introduce a cactus plant to direct sunlight gradually to prevent sunburn. The ideal location for a small cactus pot is on the windowsill of a south-facing window.
WATER:
Allow the soil of a cactus to almost totally dry out before watering, then water deeply and thoroughly. Never allow a Cactus to sit in water. A cactus requires more water in the spring, summer, and early fall when it is growing than in the winter. Over-watering is the main reason cactus plants die.
FERTILIZER:
Use a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in potassium at 1/4 the recommended strength. The type of fertilizer used for tomatoes works well. Fertilize monthly in the late spring and summer when a cactus is actively growing. Do not fertilize the rest of the year.
TEMPERATURE:
An indoor cactus plant likes temperatures between 60°-80°F (15.6°-26.7°C)HUMIDITYThis plant comes from the desert and does well in very low humidity.
FLOWERING:
After a 3 month resting period and under proper conditions, a cactus plant may bloom during the late fall and winter.
PESTS:
Even plants full of thorns get pests. These plants are susceptible to Mealy Bugs, scale, spider mites, and Aphids. scale is usually found around the thorns and can be scrapped off with a child's toothbrush. Spray the green solution (recipe in the Glossary) to get rid of any other cactus pests.
DISEASES:
Over-watering leads to crown, stem, and root rot.SOILUse a fast-draining, porous, sandy soil to prevent over-watering and root-rot. You can purchase special cactus/ succulent soil at a nursery or make your own.
POT SIZE:
Vertical cactus plants need pots that have a diameter 1/2 the height of the plant. Horizontal cactus plants need pots that have a diameter 2" larger than width of the plant. If a cactus plant starts to topple, place it in a deeper pot.
VARIETY AND TYPES:
The genus Cereus is from Central and South America but from there it has spread to the tropical and subtropical area of Africa and Asia, giving life to new species or variants.
Today, we can say that this kind of cactus includes about forty, fifty different species, according to the classification considered: the classification of individual species, in fact, continues to vary and often it varies from author to author.
We list some of the main species:
• Cereus aethiops
• C. forbesii
• C. hankeanus
• C. jamacaru
• C. jusbertii
• C. lamprospermus ssp. colosseus
• C. peruvianus
• C. validus
The Cereus is easy to cultivate and it is characterized by a rapid growth, this cactus is very popular either for the elongated stem, like a pillar, and for its large and spectacular flowers.
Like all cacti, they are perennials and long-lived. The stem is dark green or bluish, wide, with evident grooves and thorns instead of leaves. In some species it stands straight as a candelabrum, in other it branches at the top.
It can reach several meters in height even if grown in pots, but if planted directly into the ground the development is even more impressive: you can find plants of 10 or even 12 meters high. The Italian climate allows these plants to survive outdoors only in some areas of southern Italy, particularly in Sicily.
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| source pic: epicactus.blogspot.com |
Like all cacti, it is devoid of branches and the flowers grow directly from the stem, growing from the areolas. But they are rare in plants grown in pots, that only flourish if they have reached big dimensions.
The flowers are large, with a very strong visual impact. They are white, pink or red, with well-arranged and spiral shape petals and sepals. They only open in the night and leave, as fruit, red or yellow berries, with black seeds, which are often eatable. Being hermaphrodites, all flowers produce, once withered, their fruit.
How to grow and care
Start with a good quality, commercial potting soil for Cacti and Succulents. That will ensure that the soil is sterile and pest-free. Many are available with a mild starter fertilizer in the mix. If you choose to make your own soil mix, combine equal parts sand and general purpose potting soil.
Select a container with a drainage hole or be prepared to drill holes for drainage if there are none.
Prepare the container by filling with potting soil up to 2” (5cm) from the rim of the planter. Make a hole in the center of the soil large enough to hold the root ball of the plant.
If the plant is spiny be sure to wear gloves for protection. Rubber gloves should be fine if handling small-spined plants but if the plant has long or sharp needles, leather gloves offer more protection.
Small plants may be safely moved using kitchen tongs. For moving larger plants, a good method is to wrap the plant with paper towel or tissue paper. For exceptionally large or spiny plants follow with a layer of newspaper or wrapping paper for extra protection. Wrap gently, not too tight, so as not to crush the spines. Tape the outer layer of paper closed at several points to hold snug. Once the plant is moved to its new pot and secure, then the wrappings can be carefully removed.
Remove the plant from its pot. Place it in the planting hole and press soil firmly around the roots, just covering the root ball. For spiny plants, use a stick, spatula, or other utensil to move the soil and to keep distance between your hands and the spines.
Repot every 2 years. Unless the roots are pot-bound the same container can be used. If a larger pot is needed choose one not more than 1-2” (3-5cm) larger in diameter than the existing pot.
LIGHT: Cacti like as much bright indirect light as you can provide. Introduce a cactus plant to direct sunlight gradually to prevent sunburn. The ideal location for a small cactus pot is on the windowsill of a south-facing window.
WATER:
Allow the soil of a cactus to almost totally dry out before watering, then water deeply and thoroughly. Never allow a Cactus to sit in water. A cactus requires more water in the spring, summer, and early fall when it is growing than in the winter. Over-watering is the main reason cactus plants die.
FERTILIZER:
Use a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in potassium at 1/4 the recommended strength. The type of fertilizer used for tomatoes works well. Fertilize monthly in the late spring and summer when a cactus is actively growing. Do not fertilize the rest of the year.
TEMPERATURE:
An indoor cactus plant likes temperatures between 60°-80°F (15.6°-26.7°C)HUMIDITYThis plant comes from the desert and does well in very low humidity.
FLOWERING:
After a 3 month resting period and under proper conditions, a cactus plant may bloom during the late fall and winter.
PESTS:
Even plants full of thorns get pests. These plants are susceptible to Mealy Bugs, scale, spider mites, and Aphids. scale is usually found around the thorns and can be scrapped off with a child's toothbrush. Spray the green solution (recipe in the Glossary) to get rid of any other cactus pests.
DISEASES:
Over-watering leads to crown, stem, and root rot.SOILUse a fast-draining, porous, sandy soil to prevent over-watering and root-rot. You can purchase special cactus/ succulent soil at a nursery or make your own.
POT SIZE:
Vertical cactus plants need pots that have a diameter 1/2 the height of the plant. Horizontal cactus plants need pots that have a diameter 2" larger than width of the plant. If a cactus plant starts to topple, place it in a deeper pot.
VARIETY AND TYPES:
The genus Cereus is from Central and South America but from there it has spread to the tropical and subtropical area of Africa and Asia, giving life to new species or variants.
Today, we can say that this kind of cactus includes about forty, fifty different species, according to the classification considered: the classification of individual species, in fact, continues to vary and often it varies from author to author.
We list some of the main species:
• Cereus aethiops
• C. forbesii
• C. hankeanus
• C. jamacaru
• C. jusbertii
• C. lamprospermus ssp. colosseus
• C. peruvianus
• C. validus
