Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Apache War Club
Apache War Club is a tree-like column cactus from western Mexico, also known as hairbrush cactus or etcho. It branches more, and lower on the trunk, than a cardon, and can eventually grow very tall. Its white flowers with purplish outer petals feed bats and moths, and the fuzzy, spiny fruit was once used as a hairbrush. It is a long-term focal point for large desert yards.
Best for: a tall, branched focal point in a large desert yard, and native-style plantings that feed bats and moths.
It branches more, and lower on the trunk, than a cardon. Over many years it forms a tall, many-armed column for a large yard.
Its white flowers with purplish outer petals feed bats and moths. It fits a native-style planting that supports night pollinators.
The fuzzy, spiny fruit was once used as a hairbrush or comb, which gives the plant its names. The fruit has red flesh and large black seeds.
It is frost tender, so cover young plants and tips on cold nights. Keep it out of soggy soil, which causes rot. It grows very tall over time, so give it room.
- Closer grouping12 ft apart
- Open planting12-20 ft apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. In cooler weather, water only after two to four weeks without rain.
Water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry, and give little or none in winter. Plants in pots dry out faster and need water more often than plants in the ground.
Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery. Cover a new plant with light shade cloth its first summer, then remove it.
Frost can scar the stem tips, and young plants are the most tender. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take covers off in the morning.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Why is it called hairbrush cactus?
Its fuzzy, spiny fruit was once used as a hairbrush or comb. The botanical name means native combs.
How tall does it get?
It can eventually grow very tall, up to about 25 feet and in the wild as tall as 50 feet. Plant it where it has room overhead.
How is it different from a cardon?
It branches much more, and lower on the trunk, than a cardon, though both are tall Mexican column cacti.
Does it flower?
Yes. White flowers with purplish outer petals open and feed bats and moths. Bloom times vary from late winter into fall.
How often should I water it?
Water new plants on the schedule in the Care and Planting tab until they are rooted. After that, water only now and then in summer and very little in winter.
Will a new plant sunburn?
It can in its first summer. Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery, and use light shade cloth that first summer.
Is it cold hardy?
It is frost tender, so protect it below about 32°F. Cover young plants and stem tips with frost cloth or foam cups on frost nights.
What soil does it need?
Plant it in dry, fast-draining soil, since soggy soil causes rot. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Apache War Club for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Apache War Club, also called hairbrush cactus, Indian comb or etcho, is a tall branching column cactus from western Mexico. Its name comes from the spiny fruit once used as a comb. Below are answers to the questions Valley homeowners ask before planting one.
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Can hairbrush cactus grow in a Phoenix yard?
Yes, in a large desert yard with room overhead. Apache War Club is a tall branching column cactus from western Mexico.
What is the difference between Apache War Club and cardon?
Both are tall Mexican column cacti. Apache War Club branches much more, and lower on the trunk.
Does Apache War Club flower?
Yes. White flowers with purplish outer petals feed bats and moths, and a fuzzy, spiny fruit with red flesh follows.
How often do you water Apache War Club?
Water it on the new-cactus schedule until it is rooted, then only now and then in summer. Plant it in fast-draining soil to prevent rot.
Does Apache War Club need frost protection?
Yes. It is frost tender, so protect it below about 32°F by covering young plants and stem tips with frost cloth or foam cups on cold nights.
Where does the name hairbrush cactus come from?
The spiny fruit was used as a comb or hairbrush. The botanical name, pecten-aboriginum, means native combs.
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