Stenocereus thurberi (Organ Pipe Cactus) — A cathedral of green columns rising from the desert floor.

Organ Pipe Cactus grows in majestic clusters of upright stems, each ribbed and crowned with night-blooming white flowers. Native to the Sonoran Desert, it’s an iconic cactus of the Southwest.

Plant Details:

• Water Needs: Very low; thrives with occasional deep watering

• Sun Needs: Full sun

• Soil Requirements: Sandy, rocky soils with sharp drainage

• Growing Zone: USDA Zones 9–11

• Cold Hardiness: Down to ~25°F (–4°C)

• Mature Size: 10–20 ft tall x 6–12 ft wide

• Native Origin: Sonoran Desert, Arizona & Mexico

• Best Substitutes For: Saguaro, Cardon cactus

• Landscape Uses: Desert gardens, specimen plantings, habitat gardens