Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 7a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | white |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | columnar |
| Mature height | 18 feet |
| Spread | 5 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | import |
Huanuco Cactus
Botanical name: Trichocereus huanucoensis
This cactus variety forms candelabra like stands up to twenty feet tall, and over time create an impressive clump; very slow growing; white flowers are nocturnal; excellent for xeriscaping, and water conservation gardens.
Ornamental Features
Huanuco Cactus has attractive coppery-bronze-variegated bluish-green foliage which emerges chartreuse in spring. The succulent narrow leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. It features subtle white flowers along the branches from mid spring to mid fall. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Huanuco Cactus is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its strikingly bold and coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced landscape composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should never be pruned except to remove any dieback, as it tends not to take pruning well. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Huanuco Cactus is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Huanuco Cactus will grow to be about 18 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more; think of this as a heritage shrub for future generations!
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
Huanuco Cactus makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
