Organ Pipe Cactus. Stenocereus thurberi, Cactus Family ( Cactaceae ), Organ Pipe Cactus. Also Called: Pitayo Dulce, Mehuele,Stenocereus thurberi subsp. thurberi, Cereus thurberi, Pilocereus thurberi, Marshallocereus thurberi, Rathbunia thurberi. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. A popular landscape plant in Phoenix. Can take full sun but does best in some shade inder a nurse tree when very young. Quick Notes: Height: Up to 15 - 20 feet, sometimes up to 25 feet tall. Flowers: Its flowers are white or pale lavender in color. They mostly bloom at night and and by morning they close up again. Blooming Time: May - July. Fruit: The fruits are large and ripen in late summer. They have an edible, red pulp. Trunk: Up to 2' in diameter consisting of an interior framework of about 20 - 30 or more woody ribs supports the spongy tissue. Stems: 6 inches in diameter, with 12-17 dark - green ribs. 9 - 10 brown 3/8 inch spines grow from the areoles on the crest of the ribs, they turn gray as they age. Spines: Thorns with a dark central spine, up to 2 inches long with lateral spines 1/2 inch long in vertical rows along the bark ridges, There are areole clusters of 10 - 14 spines less than 1 inch apart. Seeds: The seed is light tan in color 1/16 to 1/8 inch in diameter, they are irregular and rough. Found: Native Sonoran Desert. Found from Southwestern Arizona South into Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California in Mexico. The USDA claims it is native to the USA (AZ). They claim it is native of Maricopa, Pinal, & Pima Counties in Arizona. Elevation: 900 - 3,500 Feet. Native elevation. Hardiness: USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Habitat: Lower elevations where water is available. It grows well in sand, sandy loam. It needs good drainage and aeration. It favors southern facing slopes below elevations of 3,000 feet. Common xeriscape landscape plant in Arizona. Miscellaneous: Maintenance: Low. Photos Taken February 2, 2006. Peoria, Arizona.

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