Cephalocereus senilis – Old man's head

There's no doubt that the abundant white wool covering this tall cactus is reminiscent of an old man's hair or beard. Cephalocereus senilis belongs to the Cactaceae family. It is native to the steep slopes of east-central Mexico, in the states of Guanajuato, Veracruz and Hidalgo.

How to recognize Cephalocereus senilis, the old man's cactus?

Cephalocereus senilis is a columnar cactus, unlike Cereus forbesii, which is generally unbranched. In its natural habitat, it can reach heights of between ten and fifteen metres, and a base diameter of no less than 45 centimetres... When it's a hundred years old! Rest assured, your little thorny old-timer won't reach that gigantic height, whether grown indoors or outdoors in the mild Côte d'Azur climate.

Its grayish-green stem bears yellowish thorns, one to five per areole, and numerous white hairs, 6 to 12 centimeters long. This white hair is particularly abundant at the top of the stem. This characteristic is explained by the cactus's adaptation to its mountain environment. The thick down protects it from the heat of the sun's rays during the day, as well as from the 0°C temperatures of winter nights.

The Old Man's Head Cactus flowers on its upper part, generally after 10 to 20 years of age. It blooms at night and in summer, producing red, yellow or white flowers with pale pink highlights. In Mexico's deep barrancos (gorges), they are pollinated by nectarivorous bats.

Cephalocereus senilis is not known to be toxic to pets or humans. But don't cuddle up to its attractive downy hairs – papi cactus hides sharp thorns in its beard!

Diseases / Threats