Cereus Repandus question

[GottmitAlex]

Ok. Since I could not find a "desert plant" subforum, I took the liberty of creating this post here. (The cacti in question do look a tad bit tropical)  

I have two 4-sided (4-ribbed) Cereus Repandus. They're about 15ft tall.  Well I'm curious to find out if the small green "balls" on the cacti will eventually turn into flowers.

On the cacti there are many green "micro-stalks" for lack of a better word (and in large way, ignorance in my part) which don't have the green ball on top and these I've noticed have been falling off on a daily basis. I have seen many huge flies on these "micro-stalks" and I don't know if they have anything to do with the little green balls forming over the stalks.

I guess my question is, will all these green balls form into flowers?  I ask because it would be amazing to have a large number of Peruvian cactus apples.

I read one can hand pollinate by smartly shaking the flowers that one night in which they bloom.

Pictures are below. Any help and is really appreciated. I am continuously learning a lot through PalmTalk. As always, thank you beforehand.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by GottmitAlex

[Silas_Sancona]

Digging around a bit, I believe what you are seeing are developing seed pods instead of fruit. It also appears as though the specimen in question is itself a Euphorbia species and not Cereus. I'd bet that when cut, it exudes a white, milky latex like sap which can be quite toxic if rubbed on the skin or in an eye. Regardless, a nice looking specimen. 

[GottmitAlex]

Thank you for the information. It does expel the white sap when pieced. Now I have to do my homework regarding the Euphorbia species.

Here again, thank you Silas.

[Gonzer]

Euphorbia ingens.

[Geoff]

the green balls are the female fruits... flowers are the yellow flower-like things (aka Cyathia) and they come first, followed by the green balls (fruits), not the other way around.  Fruits, if growing conditions perfect, will mature and turn pinkish and eventually rupture/pop and send their seeds flying many feet away.  Will never form edible fruits (fairly toxic, actually) and not related in the least to a cactus.  

[Geoff]

As thee plants age, will eventually get large and start dropping huge branches all over.

[GottmitAlex]

Thank you for the information. I was mixed up about them. The reason being I have a single  Cereus Repandus cactus which I just transplanted from the front of the house and replaced one of the two euphorbia ignes I had in my garden. My misunderstanding was that I thought all my "cacti" were Cereus Repandus. Since I do recall it flowering once and about two months later having a single pitaya fruit. Since they look fairly similar.

I figure why have two toxic plants in the garden  when I can have a fruiting cactus.   I still have a huge Euphorbia. But two days after I received answers for this topic, I replaced the  15' one.  

I'll post pics of the one I have left and the  Cereus Repandus which has taken up new residence where the Euphorbia was.  

The Cereus Repandus which I transplanted was (is) in decline. The soil in front of the house is extreme clay. So bad that every time I watered the plants there the soil turns to mud. Horrible.  The Cereus Repandus is now on a good sand/compost mix with excellent drainage.  

[GottmitAlex]

That last photo is also (i think) cereus repandus, since those three small stalks were inches away from the larger cereus repandus (first pic). So I set a spot for them in the narrow garden. Hopefully they take off without a hitch.

 

As you can see the Euphorbia Inges (Now that I know what the heck it is) It is growing and it's tall. The fruit is more pronounced now.Nothing against the Euphorbias. That said, due to my limited space in the garden, here again, I prefer to have something which produces fruit (or at least non-toxic). 

 

Thank you all for your help. As always here in PalmTalk: It is an education.