Totem Pole Cactus – Fat Form Cuttings – A succulent rarity from Mexico

• Names and Synonyms:  
  Lophocereus schottii var. monstrosus, Cereus schottii var. monstrosus, Pilocereus schottii var. monstrosus, Lophocereus schottii f. monstrose (there are many more synonyms)
• Common Names:  
  Fat Totem Pole Cactus
• Family:  
  Cactaceae
• Origin:  
  Lophocereus schottii is native to the desert regions of mainland Mexico and the Baja California peninsula of Mexico. Some small populations also occur in southern Arizona. The monstrose form is restricted to a small area North East of El Arco, about halfway down the Baja peninsula.
• Size Label:  
  Unrooted Cutiings
• Height:  
  10-12'
• Width:  
  4-6'
• Cold Tolerance:  
  20 to 25°F, -6.7 to -3.9°C
• Heat Tolerance:  
  Extreme heat tolerance
• Light Requirement:  
  Full sun
• Water needs:  
  Very drought tolerant
• Maintenance:  
  None
• Uses:  
  An interesting specimen cactus which works well in containers or larger planters that accent it. Interesting when lighted from below at night. It can also be planted in cactus and rock gardens in warmer areas.
• Propagation:  
  Take cuttings of healthy shoots in spring and summer by cutting the stem with a sterile knife just above a bud or shoot. Leave the cutting in a warm dry place until a callus forms over the wound. Once callused, the cutting should be potted up with cactus potting mix topped with a surface layer of coarse grit in which to place the cut end. This prevents the cut end from becoming too wet and allows the roots to penetrate the rich compost underneath in about 2 to 3 weeks.
• Problems:  
  Requires excellent drainage to prevent rot.
• Special notes:  
  A slow growing, but undemanding ornamental pole-shaped cactus. The obesa or monstrose form is much sought after by collectors and more compact than the Mykleyanus form. It has irregularly-shaped green stems with odd-shaped tubercules and few areoles. Individual stems branch mostly at the base, but occasionally higher along the mostly vertical stems as well. Young stems have a waxy bloom on their surface, but can become very marked with age. Mature stems reach 6 inches in diameter. This naturally occurring hybrid rarely, if ever, flowers and is sterile. It occurs in a limited range in Baja California, Mexico where it reproduces by stem dispersal due to wind breakage and floods. It prefers rich porous soil and can survive drought once a large colony of stems is established. It will tolerate temperatures slightly below freezing if the growing tips are protected.
• Research Links:
  
  http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59906/
• http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/LOPHOCEREUS/Lophocereus_schotii/Lophocereus_schotii_mostruosus/lophocereus_schotti_mostruosa.htm
• http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Pachycereus_schottii.html

Additional information