Organ pipe cactus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Organ pipe cactus |
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The organ pipe cactus (scientific name: Stenocereus thurberi) is a special type of cactus. It grows naturally in Mexico and the United States. You can often find it in rocky desert areas.
This cactus gets its English name because it looks like the pipes of a pipe organ. In Spanish, people call it pitaya dulce. This means "sweet pitaya" or "sweet cactus fruit."
Contents
What Does the Organ Pipe Cactus Look Like?
This cactus has many thin stems that grow straight up. They all come from one short trunk near the ground. These stems are about 6 inches (15 cm) thick. They can grow up to 16 feet (5 meters) tall. Some have even reached 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8 meters) high!
The stems usually do not branch out. Instead, they grow longer from the very tip each year. A full-grown plant can spread out to be 12 feet (3.6 meters) wide. Each stem has 12 to 19 ribs, which are about 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) high. These ribs have dark brown or black spines that turn gray as the plant gets older.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
It takes a very long time for an organ pipe cactus to grow up. It can take 150 years for it to become fully mature!
Older plants grow white, funnel-shaped flowers that are about 3 inches (8 cm) long. These flowers open at night and close in the morning. They often have a bit of purple or pink color. They usually bloom in April, May, and June. Bats often help pollinate these flowers. This means bats carry pollen from one flower to another, helping the cactus make seeds.
The plant also grows fruit that is about the size of a tennis ball. This fruit has a spiny outside. Inside, it has red flesh that many people say tastes even better than watermelon! The Seri are a group of native people who have traditionally collected this fruit. They call the plant ool and also use it as a medicine.
Where Does the Organ Pipe Cactus Grow?
You can find most organ pipe cacti in Mexico. They are common in areas like Sonora and southern Baja California. They also grow in the United States, but they are much rarer there. A famous place where they grow in the U.S. is the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This park is even named after the cactus!
This plant mostly grows on rocky hillsides. It can be found up to 3,000 feet (914 meters) high. The organ pipe cactus does not like frost. Because of this, it is rare in low desert areas where frost can happen more often.
Growing Conditions
The organ pipe cactus grows slowly. It likes soil that drains water well and needs lots of sunshine. However, when it is a tiny seedling, it needs shade. It often starts growing under a "nurse tree." This nurse tree protects the young cactus from the strong sun. The young cactus needs this protection for several years. This gives it time to grow a good root system. Most of its roots stay in the top 4 inches (10 cm) of the soil.
Different Types of Organ Pipe Cactus
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the organ pipe cactus.
- The first type is called thurberi. This one is much larger. It grows in southern Arizona, mainland Mexico, and northern Baja California.
- The second type is called littoralis. This one is much smaller. It usually grows to about 10 feet (3 meters) tall. You can only find this type in southern Baja California.
See also
In Spanish: Stenocereus thurberi para niños
Images for kids
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Organ pipe cactus stem
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Organ pipe cactus flower
