Cereus peruvianus or Peruvian apple cactus

Care of the cacti Cereus peruvianus or Peruvian apple cactus

The genus Cereus, family Cactaceae, comprises 50 species of cactus native to South America. Some species are: Cereus peruvianus, Cereus haageanus, Cereus albicaulis, Cereus jamacaru, Cereus lanosus, Cereus spegazzinii.

Common names: Peruvian apple cactus, Queen of the Night, Giant club cactus, Hedge cactus. This species is native to Brazil and Venezuela.

They are fast-growing branched columnar cacti that reach 10 meters (32.8 feet) in height. The stem has 5 to 9 well-marked ribs, is bluish-green in its youth (then turns light green) and has areoles with brown spines. The very showy flowers are 16 cm (6.29") in diameter, white; they open at night and in the early hours of the day. Plants over 4 years old bloom in summer.

They are used in pots for terraces and patios, as a houseplant, in cactus and succulent gardens or to form informal hedges or barriers. It's believed that it absorbs electromagnetic radiation and is located next to the computer screen.

Cereus peruvianus prefers full sun exposure although it can grow in semi-shade or indoors near a window. Do not expose it to temperatures below 7 ºC (44.6 ºF). A winter rest at 10-12 ºC (50-53.6 ºF) is advisable.

It's important that the soil is well drained (they tend to rot the roots); use a mixture, in equal parts, of topsoil, coarse sand and peat moss. The pot transplant is done in early spring.

Water moderately in spring and summer, waiting for the soil to dry out. In autumn, reduce the risks until they are eliminated in winter.

Fertilize with cactus and succulent fertilizer once a month in spring and summer and with organic matter in early spring.

They do not need pruning.

The main enemies are excess moisture, flat mealybugs, and root mealybugs.

They propagate in a simple way by seeds sown in spring in a seedbed with a sandy substrate rich in organic matter; also by cuttings in spring or summer.