Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Senita Cactus
Senita Cactus is a native columnar cactus from the Organ Pipe country of southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Many ribbed stems rise from the base, and the upper stems grow long, gray, whisker-like spines, which is where the name "old one" comes from. Pale pink flowers open at night from spring into summer, followed by edible red fruit. It takes full sun and reflected heat and lives on very little water.
Best for: a vertical accent against a tall wall, native desert landscapes, large pots and raised beds, and spots that get little water.
Stems rise from the base to about 12 to 20 feet over many years. Plant it in front of a tall wall or building, where the columns stand out.
It is native to southern Arizona, around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and along the Gulf of California. It lives mostly on natural rainfall once rooted.
Pale pink flowers open on the upper stems at night and close in the morning, from spring into summer. A small moth pollinates them, and red, edible fruit follows.
Damp, poorly drained soil rots the roots. New growing tips can be damaged on the coldest nights, so cover them when a hard freeze is forecast.
- 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. Once rooted, water deeply in the warm months only when the soil is dry in a dry summer, and give little or none in winter.
Plant it in full sun. It handles reflected heat from walls and paving once rooted.
Frost can scar the stem tips below about 24°F. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take covers off in the morning.
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.
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 senita native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in southern Arizona around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and south into Sonora and Baja California.
What does senita mean?
Senita means "old one" in Spanish. The name comes from the long, gray, whisker-like spines on the upper stems.
How big does it get?
It grows slowly into a clump of stems about 12 to 20 feet tall and roughly 10 feet wide over many years.
When does it bloom?
Pale pink flowers open at night on the upper stems from spring into summer and close by mid-morning.
Is the fruit edible?
Yes. The red, oval fruit has red pulp and is edible. It was an important food for the first peoples of Arizona and Mexico.
How much water does it need?
It needs very little once rooted. It usually survives on natural rainfall, with an occasional deep soak in a dry summer.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 24°F, and new growing tips need protection on the coldest nights. Cover the tips with foam cups or frost cloth.
How is senita different from totem pole cactus?
Totem pole is a spineless, knobby mutant form of senita that rarely flowers. Senita has ribbed stems, bearded upper spines, flowers and fruit, and it takes more cold.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It likes full sun and reflected heat, so it suits a hot wall or a spot beside paving.
What pollinates senita flowers?
A small native moth called the senita moth visits the night flowers and pollinates them.
Does senita have sharp spines?
Yes. The stems carry sharp spines, and the upper stems grow longer gray bristles. Wear thick gloves when you handle it.
Senita Cactus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Senita (Pachycereus schottii, also sold as Lophocereus schottii) is the bearded column cactus native to southern Arizona. This page covers its size, spines, flowers and fruit, water, cold and how it differs from the totem pole cactus.
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.
Senita, a native Arizona column cactus
Senita grows wild in southern Arizona around Organ Pipe and along the Gulf of California.
Why senita looks bearded
Its upper stems grow long, gray, whisker-like spines, which gave it the name senita, "old one".
Senita flowers and fruit
Pale pink night flowers open from spring into summer, followed by edible red fruit.
How big does senita get?
It grows slowly into a clump of stems about 12 to 20 feet tall and roughly 10 feet wide.
Watering senita in Phoenix
Once rooted it lives mostly on rain, with an occasional deep soak in a dry summer.
Senita vs totem pole cactus
Totem pole is a spineless mutant form of senita. The true senita has bearded tips and flowers every year.
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.