Cereus validus

Cereus validus

Today I am going to look at a cactus, the fabulous Cereus validus.

Cereus validus is sometimes named Cereus forbesii or Cereus haneanus. Cactus naming history is full of renaming and reclassification, largely a result of botanists, horticulturalists and scientists disagreeing. I tend to choose the cactus name that I prefer or see most commonly to label my plants.  

Cereus is a genus of cacti containing around 33 species. Cereus are desert cacti from South America, that tend to look like long columns.

The word ‘cereus’ derives from the Latin word for ‘candle’, which is fitting, as these cacti look like long thin candles.

The origin of the word ‘cereus’ is more interesting than this though, as it is derived from the Greek name Selene, a Greek moon goddess. Selene was thought to drive her moon chariot across the heavens.

Cereus are sometimes called ‘nightblooming’ cacti, as they bloom after dark, which is cool, and explains the link to the moon goddess. 

The word ‘validus’ loosely translates to ‘strong’. Cereus validus, the strong moon goddess sounds awesome!

I picked up my Cereus validus from my local garden centre for £4. It is roughly 10cm tall, but they can grow a staggering 1.5 meters tall! I picked it because I love the bluey green colour and tidy row of spines.

Care instructions: The first thing you will notice when you get a Cereus validus is its spines. They are sharp, so you will need gloves to repot it. I re-potted my Cereus validus in a terracotta pot, with cactus potting mixture and a thick layer of grit at the base to prevent root rot. Terracotta pots are best for cactus as they are porous and allow excess water and air to escape.

Cereus validus like the sunshine, favouring a solid 6 hours per day. Care should be given in summer not to scorch them, and light shade might be required.

Cereus validus can tolerate a range of temperatures from 5°C to 30°C, but are happiest in +10°C.

Cereus validus like dry soil in between watering. In winter watering should be reduced. If watering is withheld completely for 4 weeks in late winter, this will encourage flowering.

Fertiliser can be used at half strength, roughly once a month, during spring and summer.

Cereus validus are most likely to flower in spring, 6-8 weeks after a drought. The flowers are large and white/pinkish, and open at night. They only occur in mature plants. I googled for ages trying to find out what age a Cereus validus becomes ‘mature’ and got mixed results, but I think it is around 2 years from a cutting being propagated.

To propagate, you can just cut a stem halfway up, leave until the end has calloused over, and repot! I am going to wait until my plant is bigger before trying this.

I love the thought of my Cereus validus growing into a person sized beast, and its height and colour already make it standout on my shelf.

Any questions/corrections- please comment below 😁

Cereus validus