Summary

Cereus hildmannianus is a candle cactus native to southeastern South America.

Botanical name: Cereus hildmannianus K.Schumann

Synonym: Cereus peruvianus (L.) Mill. (Naming error since 1828)

Family: Cactaceae

Origin: Southeast South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay)

Common name: cactus, candle cactus, columnar cactus

Hardiness: zones 10-11 (-2°C dry)

Cereus hildmannianus, formerly mistakenly called Cereus peruvianus due to an error made by the Swiss botanist De Candolle in 1828, is a columnar cactus native to southeastern South America. It can reach 3 to 5 metres in height, and even 10 metres. Stems are bluish-green. Flowering is nocturnal in summer. It is very easy to grow as long as it is kept dry in winter.