Peniocereus greggii
Peniocereus greggii
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Peniocereus greggii is native to arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern N. America. It can tolerate occasional, short-lived light frosts, but the stems are susceptible to freezing, though they are able to regrow rapidly from the large tuberous root[1]. In cultivation, Cactus plants generally will not succeed in moist climates. They usually require a sunny position in a well-drained, circumneutral soil and to be kept more or less dry in the dormant season[2]. The flowers are spectacularly fragrant, opening shortly after sunset and visited by pollinating hawk moths (Sphingidae), and quickly wilting after sunrise[1991 However, populations of this moth are decreasing due to the heavy use of pesticides locally[3].
Propagation
Seed - Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Peniocereus+greggii>
Pollinators
Hawkmoths
References
- [1]Ajo Peak to Tinajas Altas: A flora in southwestern Arizona. Part 7. Eudicots: Cactaceae - Cactus Family — Felger R.S. et al · 2014 · ISBN 2153 733X ↩︎
- [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [4]Trees and Shrubs of Mexico — Standley P.C. · Smithsonian Institution; Washington · 1926 ↩︎Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [5]The Cactus Family — Anderson E.F. · Timber Press; Portland, Oregon · 2001 · ISBN 0-88192-498-9 ↩︎An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..