Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Silver Torch
Silver Torch is a slender column cactus from the mountains of Bolivia and Argentina, covered in soft-looking white spines that give it a silver glow. It branches from the base into a clump of narrow columns that can reach 8 to 10 feet tall. Once the columns are about 18 inches tall, red tubular flowers poke out sideways from the stems, and hummingbirds come to them. It fits narrow spaces, raised planters and large pots.
Best for: narrow side yards and courtyards, raised planters and large pots, groups of column cacti along a wall, and gardens that attract hummingbirds.
The columns stay narrow while they climb to 8 to 10 feet, so it fits side yards, courtyards and tight beds. It looks good mixed with other column cacti along a wall.
It grows well in raised planters and large containers. Use a fast-draining cactus mix and let it dry out between waterings.
Red tubular flowers poke out sideways from the columns in summer once the plant is about 18 inches tall. Hummingbirds pollinate them, and birds eat the small red fruit.
Wet soil in winter leads to rot, so keep it dry in the cool months. A plant moved straight from shade into hard sun can burn, and stem tips can scar in the low 20s.
- Group planting4-5 ft apart
- From the property line3 ft
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.
Once rooted, give a deep soak about once a month in summer. Keep it dry in winter unless rain stays away for weeks. Plants in pots need water more often.
Plant it with the same side facing the sun as in the nursery. Many plants are grown in shade, so cover a new one with light shade cloth its first summer.
Stem tips can scar in the low 20s, and small young plants are more tender. Cover tips with foam cups or frost cloth that reaches the ground, 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.
How big does Silver Torch get?
The columns can reach 8 to 10 feet tall and branch from the base into a clump. Each column stays about 2 to 3 inches thick, so the clump stays narrow.
How fast does Silver Torch grow?
It grows fast for a cactus, especially with some water in summer. Give it a deep soak about once a month in the warm months to keep it growing.
When does Silver Torch bloom?
It flowers in summer once the columns are about 18 inches tall. The red tubular flowers stick out sideways from the stems, so look along the sides of the columns rather than the tips.
Does Silver Torch attract hummingbirds?
Yes, hummingbirds pollinate the red tubular flowers. Birds also eat the small red fruit that follows.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, water about once a month in summer and little or none in winter. Keeping it dry in the cool months helps prevent rot.
Does it need full sun?
It grows in full sun or part shade. Many nursery plants are grown in shade, so shade a new plant lightly its first summer and let it adjust to full sun.
How cold can Silver Torch take?
It handles about 15°F, but stem tips can scar in the low 20s. Cover young plants and tips with frost cloth or foam cups on cold nights.
Can I grow Silver Torch in a pot?
Yes, it does well in large containers and raised planters. Use a fast-draining cactus mix and water pots more often than plants in the ground.
Are the white spines soft?
The dense white spines look like hair, but there are also stiffer brown spines mixed in, so it is pricklier than it looks.
Silver Torch for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Silver Torch (Cleistocactus strausii) is a slim clumping column cactus with white, hair-like spines and red tubular flowers. It grows faster than most columns and fits tight spaces. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and flowers to water, sun and frost.
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.
Silver Torch cactus in Phoenix
Silver Torch is a slim column cactus covered in white, hair-like spines. It comes from the mountains of Bolivia and Argentina and grows well in Valley yards and pots with little water.
How tall Silver Torch gets
The columns can reach 8 to 10 feet tall and branch from the base into a narrow clump. It grows faster than most column cacti, especially with some summer water.
Silver Torch flowers and hummingbirds
Red tubular flowers poke out sideways from the columns in summer, once the plant is about 18 inches tall. Hummingbirds pollinate them, and birds eat the small red fruit.
Watering Silver Torch
Once rooted, water about once a month in summer. Keep it dry in winter, since wet soil in the cool months leads to rot.
Frost care for Silver Torch
It handles about 15°F, but tips can scar in the low 20s. Cover young plants and tips with foam cups or frost cloth on cold nights.
Silver Torch in pots and planters
It does well in large containers, raised planters and narrow spaces. Use a fast-draining cactus mix and water pots more often than plants in the ground.
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.