Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Cardon Bareroot Spears
Cardon Bareroot Spears are cut stem sections of the cardon, the giant columnar cactus of Baja California and Sonora, sold by the foot. A spear has no roots yet: you let the cut end dry and seal, then plant it upright, and it roots in warm weather. It is the quickest way to start a tall cardon column. In time the cardon branches low and can reach 20 to 30 feet.
Best for: starting a tall cactus column quickly, a vertical accent in a large desert landscape, and a row of columns along a wall.
A spear gives you height on day one instead of waiting years for a small plant. Once rooted it slowly branches and can reach 20 to 30 feet.
A mature cardon spreads 15 to 20 feet, so it belongs in a large yard or open desert planting, not a narrow side yard.
Mature cardons bloom in spring with white flowers near the stem tips, followed by red fruit with an edible pinkish red pulp.
Frost can scar the tips below about 25°F, and cold, wet soil rots an unrooted spear. A tall spear can tip over until roots form, so stake it.
- Closer grouping12 ft apart
- Open planting12-20 ft apart
Stand the spear upright in a dry, shaded spot for about a week until the cut end is firm and sealed.
Plant the sealed end a few inches deep in dry, fast-draining soil and tie the spear to a stake. Keep the side that faced the sun facing south if it is marked.
Wait about a week, then water lightly only when the soil has dried. Once new growth shows it has rooted, water deeply in warm months when the soil is dry.
Cover the tip with a foam cup or frost cloth that reaches the ground on frost nights, and 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.
What is a bareroot spear?
It is a cut section of cardon stem with no roots yet. You let the cut end dry and seal, then plant it, and it grows its own roots.
How long should the cut end dry?
Let it dry in a shaded, dry spot for about a week, standing upright, until the cut surface is firm and sealed.
How deep do I plant it?
Set the sealed end a few inches into dry, fast-draining soil, just deep enough to hold it upright. Planting too deep invites rot.
Does it need a stake?
Yes. Tie a tall spear to a stake or brace until it roots, so wind or a bump does not tip it over.
When should I water it?
Wait about a week after planting, then water lightly only when the soil has dried. Heavy watering before it has roots can rot the base.
When is the best time to plant a spear?
In warm weather, from late spring into summer, when column cactus cuttings root. Avoid planting in winter cold.
How cold can a cardon take?
Mature plants take about 25 to 26°F. Protect a new spear and its tip with frost cloth or a foam cup on frost nights.
How big will it get?
Cardon is the tallest cactus and often reaches 20 to 30 feet in landscapes, branching lower than a saguaro.
Cardon Bareroot Spears for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Cardon Bareroot Spears are unrooted stem cuttings of Pachycereus pringlei, sold by the foot. This page covers what arrives, callusing, planting depth, staking, first water, frost and the mature size of a cardon.
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.
What arrives with cardon bareroot spears?
Unrooted cardon stem sections, priced by the foot, ready to callus and plant.
How to root a cactus spear
Dry the cut end about a week, plant it a few inches deep in dry soil, stake it, and water lightly only when dry.
Best time to plant a cardon spear
Late spring into summer, when column cactus cuttings root in warm soil.
Staking a new spear
Tie it to a stake or brace until roots form so it cannot tip over.
Is cardon cold hardy?
Mature plants take about 25 to 26°F. Protect new spears and tips on frost nights.
How big does a cardon get?
Often 20 to 30 feet in landscapes, spreading 15 to 20 feet.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.