Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Totem Pole major
Totem Pole major is the thick-stemmed form of the totem pole cactus, a spineless, knobby mutation of the senita cactus from Baja California and Sonora. Its smooth, lime-green columns are covered in lumps and bumps instead of spines, so it is safe to plant near pools, patios and walkways. It grows slowly into a clump of upright columns, eventually 10 to 15 feet tall. It loves full sun and reflected heat on very little water.
Best for: spineless accents beside pools and walkways, hot walls with reflected heat, and large containers or raised beds.
Totem pole has no spines, thorns or glochids, just smooth knobs. It is used as an accent around pools and ponds where a spiny cactus would be a problem.
It wants full sun and handles the reflected heat off hot garden walls. Set it against a wall to show off its knobby columns.
The thick columns, about 2 to 4 inches across, make a bold container plant. Use a large pot with a cactus mix and good drainage.
Below about 25°F the tips can be damaged, so cap them with foam cups on frost nights. It grows slowly, so buy the size you want to see.
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°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.
Does totem pole cactus have spines?
No. It has no spines, thorns or glochids, only smooth lumps and knobs. That makes it a safe choice near pools, patios and paths.
What does major mean?
Major is the thick form of totem pole cactus, with columns about 2 to 4 inches across and bolder knobs than the thinner minor form.
How big does it get?
It grows slowly to about 10 to 15 feet tall, forming a clump of columns from the base. Width runs about 3 to 8 feet.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes, it wants full sun and handles the reflected heat off hot walls. A bed along a sunny wall or pool deck suits it well.
How often should I water it?
It needs very little water. Water it no more than once a month while it roots in, and after that only during a long drought.
Is it cold hardy?
It is damaged below about 25°F. Cap the column tips with foam cups, paper bags or frost cloth on frost nights.
Does it flower?
It has small pale pink flowers that open at night, but they are not showy. They show up from late spring into summer. It is sterile and sets no seed, so there is no fruit to clean up.
How do I grow it from a cutting?
Let the cut end dry for about a week to form a callus, then plant it in a fast-draining cactus mix.
What is the difference between totem pole and senita?
Totem pole is a spineless, knobby mutation of the senita cactus. Senita has normal ribs and bristly spines.
What soil does it need?
Plant it in gravelly, fast-draining soil, because soggy soil rots the roots. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Totem Pole major for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Totem Pole major is the thick form of the totem pole cactus, a knobby, spineless form of the senita cactus. People plant it for its smooth, lumpy columns and because it is safe to brush against near pools and paths. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask before planting one.
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Spineless cactus for Phoenix pools
Totem pole cactus has no spines, only smooth knobs, so it is used around pools, ponds and walkways. It takes full sun and reflected heat.
Totem pole major vs minor
Major is the thick form, with columns about 2 to 4 inches across and bold knobs. Minor has thinner, wavier columns.
How big totem pole cactus gets
It grows slowly to about 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 8 feet wide, as a clump of columns from the base.
Watering totem pole cactus
Water no more than once a month while it roots in. After that it needs water only during a long drought.
Frost protection for totem pole cactus
The tips can be damaged below about 25°F. On cold nights, cap them with foam cups or cover the plant with frost cloth.
Where totem pole cactus comes from
It is a natural mutation of the senita cactus found in Baja California. It is sterile and does not set seed.
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