Virginia Tech Dendrology

Baja organ pipe cactus Cactaceae Stenocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Riccob. symbol: --
Leaf: Reduced to a dark spine that fades to gray, 1-3 central spine(s) up to 2 inches and 7-9 lateral spines to 1/2 inch, displayed in vertical rows along the bark ridges, areole clusters less than 1 inch apart.
Flower: Attractive, white to pink, 1 1/2 inches across, blooming at night during early summer, persisting for less than 24 hours, appearing at the branch tips.
Fruit: A nearly round red berry, spiny, 1 inch, ripening in the fall.
Bark: A blue-green, leathery thick skin with 8-12 prominent vertical ridges.
Form: Clustered, unbranched column-like branches sweeping upward from a central point, to 15 feet tall, clumps to 15 feet wide, individual stems approximately 4 inches in diameter.

Additional Range Information: Stenocereus stellatus is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.

All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information