Cacti

These striking cacti are native to southern AZ and northwestern Mexico into Baja. Organ pipe cacti branch from the base with inward curving, stems that are typically 6-8 in. diameter. Each arm has 12-15 shallow ribs with a dark green color, accented by dark brown to nearly black areoles that have gray, star-shaped radial spines with a few longer center spines. They are slow growing but eventually reach dramatic sizes. Plant them with loose, sandy or rocky well-drained soils. Little to no water during fall and winter.

Dramatically spiny, these are low maintenance, rugged cacti that are too often passed up due to their prickly appearance, which is unfortunate because they have lovely attributes. They form magnificent, candelabra-shaped upright plants typically on short woody trunks. They have gray-green to bluish, 1-2 ft. jointed arms that are shallowly ribbed giving them a more cylindrical appearance. The ribs are armed with widely spaced, oval-shaped areoles with multiple toothpick-like spines that of course give them their common name. The spines are silver-gray to white, sharp and impressively long at 2-4 in. Plant them in well-drained soils.

These are shrubby, spreading cacti with bright green, thick cylindrical decumbent arms. They typically have 9-10 ribs lined with thin, sharp golden spines. They mature to form irregular clumps, with arms radiating out from a central point. During spring into summer, they display large, showy white fragrant flowers that often grow in bouquets. They tolerate full sun to filtered light in well-drained unimproved soils. They are low water use and equally low maintenance.