Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Arizona Organ Pipe
Arizona organ pipe is the native column cactus of southern Arizona, with many stems rising from the base like the pipes of an organ. It grows slowly to about 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, and a mature plant can carry more than 30 branches. On late spring nights it opens pale lavender to white flowers, followed by sweet, red-fleshed fruit. It takes full sun and reflected heat on very little water.
Best for: a native focal point in full sun and reflected heat, Sonoran Desert plantings, and large open yards.
Many stems rise from the base like organ pipes, and mature plants can have over 30 branches. It makes a striking specimen in a Sonoran Desert planting.
It wants full sun with no shade and takes reflected heat. Once rooted, one or two waterings in the hot, dry season keep it looking good.
Pale lavender to white flowers open at night in late spring and are visited by bats and moths. The round red fruit follows in early summer and is sweet and edible.
Below about 25°F it can suffer cold injury, and the growing tips are the most tender part. Cover them with foam cups on frost nights.
- Single plants15 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.
Below about 25 to 27°F, frost can scar the stem tips. 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.
Is organ pipe cactus native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in southern Arizona, most famously at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and south into Mexico. Wild native cacti are protected, so buy nursery-grown plants.
How big does it get?
It grows slowly to about 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, with many stems from the base. Plant it where it has that much room to fill in over the years.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It wants full sun and handles reflected heat, so give it an open, sunny spot.
How often should I water it?
It needs very little water once rooted. Give it one or two deep waterings during the hot, dry season, especially when rain is scarce, and let the soil dry completely in between.
Is organ pipe frost sensitive?
Yes. It can suffer cold injury below about 25°F, and the growing tips are the most tender part. Cover the tips with foam cups on frost nights.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in late spring, when pale lavender to white flowers open at night and bats and moths pollinate them. Step out after dark in late spring to see them.
Is the fruit edible?
Yes. The round red fruit ripens in early summer and has sweet red flesh. Pick it when ripe before birds and other wildlife get to it.
What soil does it need?
It needs fast-draining, rocky or sandy soil, since soggy soil causes rot. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Does it have spines?
Yes, it has many needle-like spines along each rib. Keep it back from walkways and play areas.
Arizona Organ Pipe for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Arizona organ pipe is the native column cactus of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, grown for its clusters of tall stems. It handles full sun and heat on little water. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Organ pipe cactus, an Arizona native
Organ pipe grows wild in southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Nursery-grown plants bring that native look to a Valley yard.
How big organ pipe cactus gets
It grows slowly to 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Mature plants can have over 30 branches.
Organ pipe cactus for reflected heat
It wants full sun and handles reflected heat. Give it an open spot with no shade.
Frost protection for organ pipe cactus
Below about 25°F it can be injured, starting at the tips. Cap the tips with foam cups on frost nights.
Organ pipe flowers and fruit
Night-blooming flowers appear in late spring. Sweet red-fleshed fruit follows in early summer.
Watering organ pipe cactus
Once rooted, one or two deep waterings in the hot, dry season are enough. Fast-draining soil keeps the roots from rotting.
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