Penis cactus 25 - 30 cm - Trichocereus Bridgesii 'Monstrose'

Penis cactus: a cutting of Trichocereus bridgesii 'Monstrose'

Trichocereus bridgesii, also listed as Echinopsis lageniformis, is a columnar cactus from the high, dry country of Bolivia. In its ordinary form it climbs straight up in neat ribs. This plant is the monstrose version: a growth mutation robs those ribs of their regularity and the stem breaks up into rounded, uneven segments. That lumpy outline is why the trade nicknamed it the penis cactus. Among the indigenous people of Bolivia the species, like the related Trichocereus pachanoi, is known as Achuma or Wachuma. Spines are scarce, with only the occasional small cluster of yellow ones sitting on the bumps.

What you receive is a cutting of 25 to 30 centimetres, meaning a severed section of column without roots. Since every plant develops its own way, your specimen will always differ from the photograph: one cutting is thicker, another carries more or less pronounced knobs. The advantage of a cutting is that you decide which pot and which substrate the plant grows on from here.

How to root the cutting

1. Let the cut end dry out first: stand the cutting upright in a warm, dry spot out of direct sun for one to three weeks, until the surface feels hard and sealed.
2. Then set it shallowly into a dry, mineral blend of cactus soil with coarse sand, perlite or pumice; planting deep only raises the risk of rot.
3. Hold off on water. Wait until roots have formed, which usually takes around four to six weeks depending on warmth and season.
4. Give a first careful drink after that, and let the pot dry out completely before you water again.
5. If a soft, discoloured patch appears, cut back to healthy tissue, let it callus once more and start over.

Care from there

Give the cactus the brightest place you have, ideally a south facing window. During the growing season water roughly every ten to fourteen days, and only when the pot has gone dry. In winter keep the plant cooler and drier. The same category at Avalon Magic Plants holds the standard Trichocereus bridgesii, Trichocereus cuzcoensis, San Pedro seeds and Lophophora williamsii.