Cerus peruvianus (?) is becoming invasive on my property

[Walt]

Finally! About a week ago I started to see little flowers forming on my Cereus peruvianus (spiralis?), which is now a little over 15' tall, and just one column.

This morning -- in the drizzling rain -- two flowers had opened (almost), with honey bees darting in and out of them. I figure tomorrow morning most of the flowers will be opened. If so, I will take a photo of them and post back here.

[Walt]

Well, it's been approximately 16 months since my last update to this post. My Cereus peruvianus has basically stopped growing vertically, but it has developed many branches. This thing is slowly becoming a beast! I've decided to just let it grow, as I'm curious to see how it's going to look years from now. So, unless my Cereus starts to damage my house or something, I will let it stay. Below are three updated photos:

 

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

I WANT ONE!

 

[Gonzer]

The fruits are very tasty. Check your teeth afterwards unless you like little goobers stuck between them.

[aussiearoids]

I recently planted a bit of this .. will go with Gonzs name of Cereus forbesii 'spiralis' A work in progress along the driveway .

[Gonzer]

Michael, your plant is C. peruvianus 'Monstrose'.

[aussiearoids]

Thanks Gonzer , I think it will keep pace with the Bismarkia .

 

[Walt]

Just thought I would update this thread. My Cereus continues to grow, albeit at a much slower rate. Of course, that's fine by me. I'm only leaving the plant untouched just to see how it will eventually grow. If it topples I will remove all of it. But so far the plant seems very sturdy, and the very base seems to have gotten a little fatter in diameter.

[Pedro 65]

Its a Beauty Walt, stake it so it doesnt topple over.    Pete  

 

                                                                                                                 

[Walt]

It's been more than two years since I updated this posting. My Cereus peruvianus (volunteer, I didn't plant it there) was partially broken by Hurricane Irma in September of 2017, but it wasn't toppled. I thought it might get snapped in two, but I guess the house must have helped support it. But parts of the top were broken off, one part winding up in the back of my house in a super gutter (wider gutter) along my lanai. It actually started rooting in this gutter and I had a hell of a time getting it out about a month ago (procrastinated).

Here's what the Cereus looks like today, now growing higher than my adonidia palm.  

[Sandy Loam]

Walt, to my eye, it looks fantastic.  I love those cacti, but I am not from a place where one would ever get bored of looking at cacti and succulents, like southern California or southwestern Arizona. It has grown like lightning. Wow.

I had three Cereus Peruvians (supposedly) for a number of years, but the big freeze this past January killed two of them.  For some reason, one was completely unharmed.  It must be a different species with extra hardiness --- or perhaps that it was growing in soil, whereas the other two (which died) were growing in big pots.

I read somewhere that Cereus Peruvianus isn't a real species at all, but there are many other types of cereus.  I can't tell the difference between mine and the huge one at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens here in Gainesville, FL (northeastern Florida) --- and it's labelled something like Cereus Hildebrandii.

Great Cactus!  We CAN grow some cacti in this humid climate.

[Walt]

19 minutes ago, Sandy Loam said:

Walt, to my eye, it looks fantastic.  I love those cacti, but I am not from a place where one would ever get bored of looking at cacti and succulents, like southern California or southwestern Arizona. It has grown like lightning. Wow.

I had three Cereus Peruvians (supposedly) for a number of years, but the big freeze this past January killed two of them.  For some reason, one was completely unharmed.  It must be a different species with extra hardiness --- or perhaps that it was growing in soil, whereas the other two (which died) were growing in big pots.

I read somewhere that Cereus Peruvianus isn't a real species at all, but there are many other types of cereus.  I can't tell the difference between mine and the huge one at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens here in Gainesville, FL (northeastern Florida) --- and it's labelled something like Cereus Hildebrandii.

Great Cactus!  We CAN grow some cacti in this humid climate.

I don't know if you recall, but I posted a series of photos (when I had a Photobucket account, then they wanted me to pay and took down all my photos) as this cactus came up on it's own. This cactus would be more extensive than it is, but it was damaged (big pieces broken off) by Hurricane Irma. I was surprised Irma didn't topple it, as I had several other ones blown over or partially over. But all the other ones are just regular Cereus peruvianus (or what ever species they now call it). This volunteer is the only one that has some twists to it. 

Cereus_peruvianus.MOV

[Sandy Loam]

Isn't the twisted type called Cereus Montrose?...  or perhaps there are several twisted-looking  varieties?  I guarantee you that somebody on this forum is an expert on every minuscule sub-type.

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, Sandy Loam said:

Isn't the twisted type called Cereus Montrose?...  or perhaps there are several twisted-looking  varieties?  I guarantee you that somebody on this forum is an expert on every minuscule sub-type.

 *Spiral form is often labeled "spiralis"    Montrose form can include the near /completely spine-less forms. Also called / sold as "Totem Pole" Cactus.

[Missi]

Super cool! I have the non-twisty species. I found it in the middle of the woods neighboring my property  Brought a cutting home and it's taken off over the years! Irma severely damaged it and flung shingles from my roof into it. I cut it back and it's really taken off again this year! My tortoise and iguana LOVE the fruits.

[GDLWyverex]

On 10/30/2012, 3:17:00, Walt said:

About 10 years ago I bought a small, single section Cerus peruvianus (I understand it's called something else now) from Home Depot and brought it home in the back seat of my car.

 

I planted the cerus next to my storage shed, on the south side. Over the years it grew and multiplied, flowering heavily 3-4 times a year, then developing lots of fruits.

 

About three years ago I started noticing small cerus plants coming up all about my property (5.60 acres), many of the plants 100s of feet away from the mother plant. At first I wasn't sure what species of cerus they were but after awhile concluded they were Cerus peruvianus.

 

No doubt, birds were eating on the fruit and then pooping out the seeds here and there. Almost invariably, new plants are sprouting and growing directly beneath a palm fronds, tree limb, etc.

 

Less than two years ago I noticed a cerus coming up next to an Adonidia merrillii palm planted at the corner of my house. I know this (time wise) due to date stamps on other photos I have taken. I have photos 22 months old and there's no cerus growing.

 

If the cerus come up in a location that is inconsequential, I will just let it grow. But the one coming up next to the house must now go. I'm almost sorry I have to cut down this particular cerus as it is so much more robust and fatter than all my other ones, including the mother plant.

 

And I just paid to get a small one.

Thay have been reclassified as Cereus repandus

 

Richard

 

[Walt]

Spring of 2019 update on my volunteer Cereus Peruvianus.

[Meangreen94z]

That’s amazing, it appears to use the palm as a support

[Phillip214]

Hi Wall my name is Phillip.  I love your plants.  If you ever decide to part ways I you love to buy or trade for the spiralis.  We have astrophytum and obesa smaller and not invasive

[Walt]

A 2022 update on my Cereus peruvianus. Since my last update I lost (to some kind of trunk borer insect) the Adonidia palm growing next to to my C. peruvianus. From this palm I believe a bird pooped the seed which started my C. peruvianus. In 2017, Hurricane Irma toppled some of the top of my C. peruvianus, so it would be taller now than it is.

I'm having my roof shingles replaced within the next few weeks. I sure hope the roofers don't break my C. peruvianus. 

[Walt]

My Cereus is leaning more and more away from my roof soffit. I suspect one day I will be cutting it up (when it finally falls).  Photos taken 3-31-2023.

[aztropic]

14 hours ago, Walt said:

My Cereus is leaning more and more away from my roof soffit. I suspect one day I will be cutting it up (when it finally falls).  Photos taken 3-31-2023.

Yep. Without drastic pruning,its probably coming down in the next hurricane. If you still like the cactus there,you could cut it back to roof level,and it will start growing new branches all over again. Your choice... 😄 

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Walt]

1 hour ago, aztropic said:

Yep. Without drastic pruning,its probably coming down in the next hurricane. If you still like the cactus there,you could cut it back to roof level,and it will start growing new branches all over again. Your choice... 😄 

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

I'm just going to let nature take her course. The cereus doesn't belong where it is in the first place. It just came up on it's own and I let it grow. This species is invasive. I have them coming up all over the place. Hurricane Ian snapped the tops off of many of them. New (multi) shoots are growing like crazy.