Verne's Juul's Giant

Verne's Juul's Giant is a classic “Juulsoid” phenotype of *Trichocereus pachanoi*. It is characterized by a stunning glaucous, blue-green epidermis, thick ribs, and a mostly spineless or highly reduced spine morphology typical of the Tom Juul's Giant cultivar.

The clone originates from the collection of the late grower Verne (of Verne's Cactus), who resided in Mountain View, California. According to archival records and community history, Verne sourced his original cuts in 1986 from a grower named Kate in Watsonville, California. Following a major earthquake in 1989, which toppled many of Kate's large cacti, Verne salvaged the fallen tips and planted them in his yard. After Kate passed away in 2003, Verne salvaged remaining specimens from her nursery in 2006.

There is significant community discussion regarding whether this clone is synonymous with “Verne's Spineless Mac” (VSM) and the clone designation “JS147” (distributed by eBay seller “daboart”). While some community members suspect they are the same, expert analysis suggests Verne's Juul's Giant is simply the authentic, original “Tom Juul's Giant,” and notes that Verne himself did not write about a “spineless mac” in his official catalog.

This cultivar is noted for its excellent cold hardiness and resistance to freezing temperatures. It can tolerate sustained temperatures below 32°F (0°C) for several days, provided the soil is kept completely dry. Some growers recommend protecting the growing tips with styrofoam cups during hard freezes in unheated greenhouses.

Analysis of the discussion reveals a debate over the naming conventions used by secondary distributors, specifically eBay seller “daboart” (associated with the JS series), and whether these listings renamed Verne's original stock. Additionally, the historical timeline of Verne's collection highlights the informal provenance tracking common in early California Trichocereus circles.

Lawrence Smith is a highly regarded community expert with extensive knowledge of historical clone documentation and Verne's archival websites, earning a maximum confidence score. Beloved Laughter provided detailed chronological history and archival links to verify the provenance of Verne's collection. Kelly Beth Costello provided direct, first-hand cultivation observations regarding the clone's cold tolerance.