Table of Contents
Trichocereus pachanoi — Identification
T. pachanoi (San Pedro / Huachuma) is the classic tall, fast, near-spineless columnar cactus of the Andes and the most widely grown Trichocereus.
At a glance
| Feature | T. pachanoi |
|---|---|
| Ribs | 6–8 (occasionally 4–9), broad and rounded |
| Spines | short and sparse, often 0–7 mm; sometimes nearly spineless; amber/brown |
| Epidermis | mid to dark green, matte (not strongly glaucous) |
| Areoles | white-felted, ~1.5–2.5 cm apart, often with a small “notch” or chin above each |
| Habit | fast, erect, columnar; branches from the base; to ~6 m |
| Native | Andes of Ecuador and Peru, ~2000–3000 m |
Key identifying features
The give-aways are the broad rounded ribs, short-to-absent spines, and a matte mid-green skin. Many pachanoi show a subtle notch above the areole (a small indentation on the rib margin). Growth is notably fast and upright. Large white nocturnal flowers have black hairs on the tube.
Commonly confused with
- T. peruvianus — usually spinier (longer, stouter spines) and more glaucous (blue bloom), especially on new growth.
- T. macrogonus — heavy taxonomic overlap; modern treatments fold much of pachanoi into T. macrogonus var. pachanoi (see the macrogonus page).
- Growing conditions matter: a sun-stressed or under-watered pachanoi can spine up and glaucous up, blurring the line with peruvianus.
Examples from our archive
Community-submitted clones identified as T. pachanoi. Click a clone for its full page.
Pachanoi
pach bk10805.1 — full page
Josue Pach — full page
NZ Pach Dalton — full page
powerline
Dave Turner Pach — full page
Part of the Trichocereus Species & ID Guide. This is a horticultural ID reference, not definitive taxonomy — Trichocereus species intergrade and their classification is debated. Example photos are community-submitted clones from our archive; click a clone for its page.