Outdoor Dream Builders

ROC #343460

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cactusArizona NativePet FriendlyPollinator Plant

Senita

Name: Senita
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Pachycereus schottii

A whiskered columnar cactus with an exclusive pollination partnership with the tiny senita moth.

Frost sensitive, hardy to about 28°F, USDA 9-11; a warm-desert Sonoran and Baja native.

AMWUA Notes

Native, very drought tolerant columnar cactus needing minimal irrigation.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Established plants need little to no supplemental water; water a young plant monthly its first summer, then rely on rainfall. Rots if overwatered.

✂️Pruning

Remove damaged or frost-bitten stems; cuttings root to form new plants.

🌱Fertilizing

Not necessary.

🛡️Pests

Trouble-free; cold, wet soil causing rot is the main concern.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Protect young plants from frost below 28°F; whiskered stem tips produce night flowers pollinated by the senita moth.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Fast-draining decomposed granite; lean, low organic matter

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.

🌰Propagation

Stem cuttings (callus first) or seed

📐Spacing

8-10 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Shallow, non-invasive roots; keep the multi-stemmed clump off walkways

Placement Tips

•Site as a multi-stemmed specimen with room for a 10 ft spread.
•Keep off walkways.
•Plant in fast-draining soil on a warm exposure.
•Protect from cold-air drainage in low spots.

Features

Whiskered stem tipsNight-blooming pink flowersSenita moth pollinatedMulti-stemmed columnar

Best Uses

SpecimenNight gardenNatural landscape

Ecological Value

Attracts

senita moth

Companion Plants

cactus

Native

Organ Pipe

Stenocereus thurberi

A majestic multi-stemmed native cactus whose night-blooming flowers are pollinated by lesser long-nosed bats.

Very Low Waterfull sun

cactus

Native

Saguaro

Carnegiea gigantea

The towering icon of the Sonoran Desert, providing critical habitat for birds and nocturnal pollinators alike.

Very Low Waterfull sun

cactus

Totem Pole

Pachycereus schottii f. monstrosus

A smooth, spineless mutation of the senita prized for its surreal, totem-like sculptural columns.

Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

accent

Native

Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens

An unmistakable desert icon whose thorny canes erupt with fiery red-orange blooms that hummingbirds cannot resist.

Very Low Waterfull sun

Quick Stats

Water NeedsVery Low (Xeric)

Sun Exposurefull sun

Mature Size10 ft H × 10 ft W

Growth Rateslow

Maintenancelow

HardinessUSDA 9-11

FoliageEvergreen

Drainagesharp, fast-draining

Bloom SeasonLate spring-summer

Bloom ColorPink

Litter Levellow

Thornsmedium

Native RegionSouthwestern Arizona, Baja California, and Sonora Mexico

Design Styles

desert modernnative habitat

Include in Your Project

Love Senita? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.

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Use this care guide to maintain your Senita. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.

Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.