Growth Habits: This is a variable species, but the photograph is a good representation of what they should look like. Even the number of ribs can vary, but usually there are five to seven. The plant branches, both from the base and also higher up the stems. The body is a strong slate blue with whitish areoles that are covered in brownish yellow spines running continuously up the ribs of the plant. There are normally 10-14 radial spines and six to eight central which are slightly longer than the radials. They are so close together that they look like a continuous dense brown line. When the plant is old enough it will produce a pseudocephalium. Plants can easily get to 6-10ft. tall.
Scientific name: Pilosocereus magnificus
Common names: Blue Candle, Blue Torch.
Synonym: Pseudopilocereus magnificus
Etymology: The name is derived for the Latin word pilosus, meaning hairy and refers to the pseudocephalium. Magnificus is self explanatory.
Origin: Brazil (north eastern Minas Gerais)
Light: These plants will take anything from light shade to full sun.
Compost: If kept in a pot a rich compost is preferred, but of course like all cacti Pilosocereus do not like wet roots, so adequate drainage should be used.
Water: They need regular watering with added feed from early spring to late autumn. Depending on the weather and their situation a little water in winter will keep them ticking over. In habitat they are extremely drought resistant.
Flower: The flowers are mostly bisexual and actinomorphic (capable of being divided into equal halves along any diameter, as the flowers of the rose or tulip; radially symmetrical) and bloom April through to June. They are a whitish colour, approximately 2in. Long and 1in. Across. The plant blooms at night.
Fruit: The fruit is a berry, often with spines or bristles.
Min. temp: Even specimen plants will stand little or no frost before the growing tips are damaged in some way. Therefore the minimum temperature should not drop below 55°F (12°C)
Cultivation: a difficult plant to keep if they are planted in the ground, but in pots they can become root bound very quickly and also suffer from starvation, because of the lack of nutrients in the soil. Another danger is that they grown reasonably quickly and can become top heavy, often with disastrous results.
Habitat: Found in the drainage of the Rio Jequitinhonha, north-eastern Minas Gerais. Endemic to the core area within Minas Gerais. They can be seen growing at a height of about 370 metres. They are not under threat at the present time, but their range is limited and therefore they are being closely monitored.
Comments: I can see the obvious beauty of these plants, but they are too big for me to accommodate in my collection. Obviously if I could grow them in the garden I would be more than happy to have some of this genus in my collection. I do however have one or two of the smaller columnar cacti that I can keep under cover and some of these flower at 18in. high.