FlowerPotNursery Organ Pipe Cactus Stenocereus thurberi 2" Pot

Stenocereus thurberi, the organ pipe cactus, is a species of cactus native to Mexico and the United States. The species is found in rocky desert. Two subspecies are recognized based on their distribution and height. The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is named for the species.

Its English common name is derived from its resemblance to a pipe organ. It is locally known as pitaya dulce, Spanish for "sweet pitaya" or sweet cactus fruit.

This cactus species has several narrow stems that rise vertically, growing from a single short trunk just above the ground level. These stems are about 15 cm (6 in) thick and grow to a height of 5 m (16 ft), however it has been known to reach 7 to 8 m (23 to 26 ft). These stems rarely branch but rather grow annually from the tip of the last growth. The mature plant can reach a width of 3.5 m (12 ft). Each stem has twelve to nineteen 10 mm (3⁄8 in) high ribs that bear dark brown to black spines that turn gray as it matures. It takes 150 years to reach maturity. The older plants produce 75 mm (3 in) funnel-shaped white flowers annually which are open at night and close by the morning and have a purple or pink tint to them. These usually grow during April, May, and June. The organ pipe cactus is usually pollinated by bats. The plant also produces fruit about the size of a tennis ball. Beneath the fruit's spiny exterior is red flesh that has been described as tasting better than watermelon. This fruit has traditionally been harvested by the Seris, who call the plant ool [oːɬ], and is used as a medicine.

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