Columnar Cacti - Neobuxbaumia

Neobuxbaumia

Neobuxbaumia: (DC.) These are large cacti from Mexico. Some species in this genus are still very hard to find in cultivation. N.polylopha scars very easily.

Neobuxbaumia polylopha: (DC.) Backbg. Mexico, Hidalgo valley de Zimapan, Meztitlan, Tlacolula	Plant approx 2.5m in the collection of Suzanne & Tony Mace

Neobuxbaumia euphorbioides (Haworth) Buxbaum

Neobuxbaumia euphorbioides comes from the states of Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi and Vera Cruz in Mexico and is reportedly now very hard to find in the wild. Like the previous species it is easy to grow but a slightly warmer minimum temperature is recommended. The plant illustrated on the left is the top of an 8-9 foot specimen growing in free root run in the greenhouse of Suzanne and Tony Mace. It dates back in our collection to around 1965 and first started flowering at around 4 foot. The pale pink flowers open at night and in the wild are bat pollinated. Seed can be produced from a single specimen by hand pollination. A second smaller plant of the same species also produces flowers some years, the larger plant now flowers regularly every year. Since the photograph was taken the large plant has now unfortuntunately hit the roof and bent over. Plants of this species may be also found under the generic names of Cephalocereus or Rooksbya.

Neobuxbaumia euphorbioides	Neobuxbaumia euphorbioides

Neobuxbaumia scoparia (Pos.) Backbg.

A large (approx 3m) specimen growing in the private collection of the Jardin Exotique in Monaco. This species is rare in cultivation and apparently this specimen has not yet flowered.

Neobuxbaumia scoparia		A flowering plant owned by the wholesale nursery of Gerardus Olsthoorn in Sao Paulo, Brazil