Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Golden Saguaro (Terscheckii)
Golden Saguaro (Terscheckii) is the Argentine saguaro, Echinopsis terscheckii, a giant column cactus with stout yellowish spines. It branches above the ground like a saguaro but grows faster, up to about a foot a year with a little summer water. Large white flowers open at night in spring and summer. In time it reaches 20 to 30 feet.
Best for: a saguaro-style column in less time, a tall focal point in a large desert yard, and full-sun beds with room overhead.
With a little extra water in spring and summer it can grow up to about a foot a year, far faster than a saguaro. Arms branch from the trunk above the ground.
It reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, so plant it where it has room overhead and away from wires.
Large white flowers open at night in spring and summer. Plants bloom once they reach some size.
Soil that stays wet rots the roots, so let it dry between waterings. It is hardy to about 18°F; cover the tips of young plants on colder nights.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry, and give little or none in winter.
Keep the side that faced the sun facing south when you plant. A newly planted column can sunburn in its first summer, so light shade cloth helps until fall.
Frost can scar the stem tips below about 18°F. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take covers off in the morning.
A little extra water in spring and summer helps it grow faster. Let the soil dry between waterings so the roots do not rot.
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 golden saguaro a real saguaro?
No. It is Echinopsis terscheckii from northern Argentina, often called the Argentine saguaro. It looks like a saguaro but grows much faster.
How fast does it grow?
With a little extra water in spring and summer it can grow up to about a foot a year. Without extra water it grows more slowly.
How big does it get?
It reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, with arms branching from the trunk.
When does it bloom?
Large white flowers open at night in spring and summer on mature plants.
How often should I water it?
Water it in summer when the soil is dry, and keep it on the dry side in winter. It is drought tolerant once rooted.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 18°F. Cover the tips of young plants with foam cups or frost cloth on colder nights.
Does it have spines?
Yes. It carries stout yellowish spines that can pass 3 inches. Handle it with thick gloves and wrap it to move it.
What is the other golden saguaro?
We also carry Neobuxbaumia polylopha under the golden saguaro name. That plant is less cold hardy and has short, bristly spines.
Does it attract pollinators?
Yes. Its flowers open at night, and night-flying pollinators come to them.
Golden Saguaro (Terscheckii) for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Golden Saguaro (Terscheckii) is Echinopsis terscheckii, the Argentine saguaro, often planted as a faster saguaro look-alike. This page covers size, growth speed, flowers, water and cold in the Valley.
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 is the Argentine saguaro?
Echinopsis terscheckii, a giant column cactus from northern Argentina sold as golden saguaro.
How fast does golden saguaro grow?
Up to about a foot a year with a little extra water in spring and summer.
How big does it get?
It reaches 20 to 30 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide.
Golden saguaro flowers
Large white night flowers open in spring and summer on mature plants.
Is it cold hardy in Phoenix?
It is hardy to about 18°F. Protect young tips on colder nights.
Watering the Argentine saguaro
Water in summer when the soil is dry, and keep it dry in winter.
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.