Cactaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Pilosocereus alensis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Pilosocereus alensis is native to tropical and subtropical, semi-arid regions of western Mexico, where it can be found at elevations up to 800 metres. It seldom experiences frost in its native habitat and shows damage to stem tips even after a short period with a light frost^[1]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Grows best in an acid soil with a pH below 6.0^[2]. The plant usually only crops rather lightly^[3].

Propagation

Seed - Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Pilosocereus+alensis>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Desert Tropicals — http://www.desert-tropicals.com/ ↩︎The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
[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]Rio Mayo Plants - A study of the flora and vegetation of the valley of the Rio Mayo, Sonora — Gentry H.S. · Carnegie Institution of Washington; Washington DC · 1942 ↩︎One of my favourite authors on native plants, often including their uses. This is an excellent example with lots of information, even though the book is 80 years old.
[4]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..
[5]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.
[6]Cacti Biology and Uses — Nobel, Park S. (Editor) · University of California Press; Berkeley, California · 2002 · ISBN 0-520-23157-0 ↩︎A lot of information about the uses and cultivation of Cacti native to central Mexico