Peruvian Apple Cactus

The Peruvian apple cactus is an absolutely gorgeous cactus species! The columnar, upright Peruvian apple cactus is a native of South America. Because of its huge size, it is sometimes referred to as the giant club cactus or the hedge cactus.

Although this cactus can make a wonderful houseplant, be mindful of its size. When grown unsupported in its native environment, its greenish-blue stems may grow to heights of more than 30 feet. Once it reaches that height, it might topple over and need support to stay upright and healthy. But if you’re lucky, you might be able to grow some delicious Peruvian apple fruit.

Let’s take a look at some fun facts about the Peruvian apple cactus and how to keep this unique cactus alive in your garden or in a pot.

What is a Peruvian Apple Cactus?

The Peruvian apple cactus is classified as Cereus repandus. It can also be classified as Cereus peruvianus. It is also referred to as the hedge cactus or giant club cactus. This member of the cactus family and the Cereus genus is known for producing spine-free fruit that is edible and quite popular as food where it grows in the wild.

Anatomy of the Peruvian Apple Cactus

This cactus’s cylindrical grey-green to blue stems, which somewhat resemble trees, can grow to a height of 33 feet and a diameter of four to eight inches as a self-supporting plant. That being said, this cactus can reach a height of 110 feet if it is supported by a scaffold. In captivity, one species in India has grown to this height. As a result, even though no Peruvian apple cactus has ever grown taller than 82 feet in its native habitat without human intervention, it is technically the tallest cactus plant in the world.

This cactus has nine to ten circular ribs that may reach a height of one centimeter. It has short, widely spaced areoles and a wide range of grey, needle-like thorns. They are very abundant on each plant, although they can sometimes be completely absent. The longest thorns may reach a length of one inch.

The huge, cream-colored, nocturnal blooms of this cactus are essential to pollinating bats and are only open for one night. The thornless fruits, also known as pitaya or Peruvian apples, have skin that ranges in hue from red to yellow. The white, edible flesh is filled with tiny seeds. Once the fruit completely ripens, the flesh becomes sweeter.

Peruvian Apple Cacti Native Environment

This cactus is native to South America. Despite its name, it is actually mostly found in Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. It is a very hardy cactus that can survive fairly low temperatures.

Peruvian Apple Cacti Varieties and Subspecies

There are very few varieties and subspecies of this species of cactus. If you search for this type of cactus online or at your local nursery, you will likely only find its base species available for sale.

Colors of the Peruvian Apple Cactus

The body of this cactus is greyish-green. Often, its needles have a greyish-white tone. Large, often cream-colored blooms are also produced by this plant. It is renowned for producing fruits that range in color from bright red to yellow. The fruit’s interior flesh is white and resembles dragon fruit.

Uses for the Peruvian Apple Cactus

Although it is mostly used as an ornamental plant and for landscaping in arid desert areas, this cactus nevertheless has significant gastronomic significance in the region it is native to. Its fruits are edible and also quite delicious. The fruit of this species is an important source of food for different birds in the cactus’ native range since it grows well in desert areas and bears fruit even during the dry and hot seasons. The inner wood of the plant is also used by the Wayuu people of the La Guajira Peninsula in Colombia and Venezuela to build composite buildings and structures.

What Will Make My Peruvian Apple Cactus Bloom?

The Peruvian apple cactus requires a lot of strong light for optimal development and flowering. All day long, it can endure direct sunlight. However, bear in mind to acclimate to direct sunlight gradually. It will start to tilt toward the window if you don’t periodically turn it so a fresh piece faces the light and evens it out.

Unfortunately, like many cacti, these species will struggle to flower when kept indoors. But if you’re dedicated to giving it the attention it needs, you could ultimately see some blossoms. These plants don’t begin to bloom until they are several years old. They often bloom in the summer or in the late spring.

How to Grow a Peruvian Apple Cactus

This cactus can become accustomed to partial or full sunlight outside, but it should stay out of the harshest midday and afternoon sun. Each of the huge flowers’ brief blooms, which only last a few hours, will open up at night or in the early morning.

When growing this species of cactus, place them in large clusters to encourage more blooms and fruit. Fruit cannot be produced without flower pollination. You can take cuttings from your tallest plant or buy them from a nursery to increase the size of your plants. These plants can also be grown from seed, though this requires quite a bit of patience.

Indoor Peruvian apple cacti thrive and are often available in a variety of sizes for transplanting. When growing this species of cactus as a houseplant, place it in bright but indirect light. If you see this tall cactus bending or twisting into the light, turn the container to ensure it gets even sun exposure.

Repotting and Transplanting a Peruvian Apple Cactus

Use protective gloves whenever you handle your cactus. Repotting can be done annually in the spring and may be necessary for a younger plant on a regular basis. Afterward, just repot when necessary, moving up to a little bigger container each time.

This species of plant is incredibly robust. A mature plant can be challenging to carry and transport because of the stems’ ability to store water and increase the plant’s weight. To prevent your hefty specimen from toppling over, choose a solid, heavy container.

To repot, fill the bottom of the new pot with gravel and rocks for drainage. Add your cactus mix or soil on top of this layer. The plant’s root ball should have any existing soil gently removed. The cactus should then be placed in its new pot with more soil. While touching the plant’s base, take care to avoid damaging its roots. After repotting, give the cactus about a week without any attention before watering. Your potted plant can ultimately be put outside if desired, but make sure to bring it inside as soon as the weather turns chilly.

Pruning a Peruvian Apple Cactus

For a few reasons, you might wish to prune your Peruvian apple cactus. To prevent illness-related problems from getting worse, you should first remove any sick or damaged branches as soon as possible. You might also want to prune this huge plant as it can quickly overrun its indoor space. If your cacti are small enough, you can trim them yourself unless you have a really huge plant that calls for a professional cactus pruner. Yes, those exist!

Before trimming your cactus, put on protective clothes, gloves, and goggles first. Cut branches where they break from other branches or they attach to the trunk with a sanitized knife or pruning saw. To separate growth segments, you can also cut branches where a knob has developed.

These cacti can be grown from healthy cuttings and offshoots. Check your pot for little offshoots that have begun to grow. They are easy to dig out and replant in their own pots. Use parts from the stem’s top to propagate cuttings. Before planting them to create new cacti, let them dry out for a bit so they can form a callus over where they were cut.

Water Needs for Peruvian Apple Cacti

Nurture this plant the same way you would any other conventional succulent or cactus. Let the soil completely dry up before giving it another watering. When the soil has entirely dried up, you can wait a little while before watering it, as this cactus is very drought-tolerant. It is used to growing in desert environments where it can go for long stretches without water. As a result, it stores water in its stems for later use.

This plant will die if its soil is not allowed to dry out completely before being watered once again. Too much water will cause rotting at the roots due to excess water and oxygen deficiency. You’ll probably notice that the stems start to go mushy and aren’t quite as upright.

Sunlight Needs for Peruvian Apple Cacti

Place your cactus near a window with a southeast or south orientation as this plant requires full sunlight both during the summer and the winter. While these plants enjoy the sun’s direct rays, in the spring and summer, burns may develop on their surface. By the conclusion of the winter season, gradually acclimatize this plant to direct sunshine to prevent burning.

Soil Needs for Peruvian Apple Cacti

Using the proper soil and waiting until the soil dries up before watering this plant again are important things to remember when caring for Peruvian apple cacti. Utilize any soil for succulents or cacti that you can get at a nearby nursery. This cactus isn’t picky!

Also, you can create your own cactus soil mix by beginning with a light houseplant soil and then incorporating additional chunky perlite and sand. The plant can endure poor, sandy soil outdoors. Avoid planting it in soil that is excessively heavy or made of clay. This won’t promote efficient drainage.

Fertilizer Needs for Peruvian Apple Cacti

The Peruvian apple cactus doesn’t require additional fertilizer and grows extremely slowly. The potting soil you use for your plants should be changed once a year to provide them with more than adequate nourishment. Keep in mind that most plants get their energy from sunshine rather than a fertilizer. However, a cactus-specific fertilizer can occasionally be beneficial if you want to get these plants to flower.

Temperature and Humidity Needs for Peruvian Apple Cacti

Surprisingly, Peruvian apple cactus plants can tolerate slightly chilly temperatures. Outside of USDA hardiness zones nine through 11, it definitely shouldn’t be grown year-round outside. However, it can withstand temperatures as low as 20 degrees F.

It definitely won’t thrive at such a low temperature, but it can withstand it for a little while. At colder temperatures, it is prone to become dormant and will not continue to grow.

Temperatures in USDA hardiness zone nine can fall as low as 20 to 30 degrees F. The majority of zone nine temperatures, including its lows, are higher. The optimal high temperatures are in the 70 to 90 degrees F range. When grown indoors, try to match these temperatures to keep your plant healthy. Peruvian apple cacti do not have any specific humidity requirements, though they do best at levels under 50%.

Pests and Diseases to Watch Out For

When the soil is kept excessively wet, mealybug infestations might affect your Peruvian apple cactus. By letting the soil dry out between waterings and making sure indoor specimens aren’t kept in humid areas, you can keep these pests at bay. 

Once these insects have made your plant their home, they swiftly spread and eventually kill it by reducing the moisture it needs. You can spray your cactus with pesticide or wash it in a solution of castile soap and water to get rid of mealybugs. Also, you can spray neem oil on the branches or clean them with isopropyl alcohol.

The Peruvian apple cactus is susceptible to damage from slugs and snails as well. They usually reproduce quickly and are nocturnal. As soon as you notice any snails, slugs, or their eggs on your plant, you should get rid of them. To further safeguard your cactus, place companion plants that keep them away close by. These plants include ferns, hydrangeas, lavender, and yucca.

Another harmful condition you will want to prevent is root rot. This might happen to your cactus if the soil is excessively wet and dense. To avoid this, always use soil that has good drainage.

Are Peruvian Apple Cacti Toxic?

Not at all! In fact, this cactus produces a wonderful edible fruit that is high in fiber, vitamin C, and other healthy nutrients. Also known as pitaya in its native South America, it is a favorite food of people as well as birds, insects, and reptiles. Although there isn’t a lot of information about this plant’s toxicity to cats and dogs, it is nevertheless advisable to keep a fruiting cactus away from any curious furry friends.

Is It Hard to Grow a Peruvian Apple Cactus?

Like many cacti, the Peruvian apple cactus is not too difficult to grow. It is definitely easier to grow from an existing cactus than from seed, and it might be hard to find depending on where you live. Regardless, this plant does best when given space and left alone. We’d recommend the Peruvian apple cactus for intermediate to advanced plant parents.

The Peruvian apple cactus is pretty easy to grow, as are many cactus species. Just keep in mind that this attractive cactus can grow very large and may need some help staying upright. If you can commit to its care needs, you might eventually be able to grow some tasty fruit from this cactus!