I bought this cactus in April from a small family owned garden center. There was no ID.

I was hoping letting it grow a bit would help reveal its identity. Alas, I am still stumped. It looks a lot like several cacti.

So, I am hoping y'all can help me out.

Its a Cereus. I'm done.

Yep. Seconded. Cereus. I fear I may have to wait for flowers.

Updated pictures. Still waiting for flowers.




EDIT: I really want to say I got my hands on a Fairy Castle Cactus, but I'm not usually that lucky. I paid $5 for a pot of 3 of these.

hlutzow said:I really want to say I got my hands on a Fairy Castle Cactus...

Now that you say that...

Don't tease me... It's one of my wish list cacti.

I'm serious... But if it is, don't expect flowers anytime soon. I don't know as I have ever seen flowers - except for those little straw/plastic flowers glued on their heads.

It seems that the aureoles are a little wooly to be a Cereus...

I'm thinking the only way to solve this dilemma is wait 6 months to a year and see if it starts looking more familiar, or not. Eh, I've got time.

Fairy Castle Cactus are very common in my area. Next time I see one, I'm getting it for you.

I have had cereus that flowered.

cereus flower commonly but fairy cactus not as often.

I believe Fairy Castle Cactus is Acanthocereus tetragonus.

DaisyI said:I believe Fairy Castle Cactus is Acanthocereus tetragonus.

I think it's a cultivar of that species.

Yes. Acanthocereus tetragonus "Fairy Castle Cactus" is a dwarf (and I suspect monstrose) version of Acanthocereus tetragonus, apparently native to South Florida and Texas. Maybe hlutzow has found the regular version. We will know when it turns into a tree and blooms or stays short and starts growing knobby and weird.

DaisyI said:Fairy Castle Cactus are very common in my area. Next time I see one, I'm getting it for you.

We have the same 6 or 7 common cactus sold here year round, mosty Mammillaria. "Cactus season" is simply those same cacti in large numbers. It's depressing. Which is why I get so weirdly excited when something new pops up.

Acanthocereus tetragonus is a 3-sided cactus. So, I can rule out the natural version of that species.

@DaisyI I would reimburse you.

Actually it is three or four sided, but mostly three. I have the normal version interestingly enough it looks very little like the Fairy Castle version and it grows big. My plant is not that hairy though.

mcvansoest said:Actually it is three or four sided, but mostly three. I have the normal version interestingly enough it looks very little like the Fairy Castle version and it grows big. My plant is not that hairy though.

Huh. Good to know.

Here is the wikipedia entry with some useful information and a picture that contrasts how different the Fairy Castle is from the much larger regular version.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

I can see some Fairy Castle in your plant.

mcvansoest said:Actually it is three or four sided, but mostly three. I have the normal version interestingly enough it looks very little like the Fairy Castle version and it grows big. My plant is not that hairy though.

It's very normal for cultivars of plants to be different from the original plant. Compare, for instance, the various varieties of sweet potatoes (ornamental and edible). Can you believe that they are all of the same species ?!