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Apple Cactus (Cereus repandus)

The Apple Cactus, also known as Peruvian Apple or Hedge Cactus, is a large, columnar cactus that produces edible, apple-like fruits. Its ribbed, blue-green stems can reach impressive heights, making it a dramatic landscape specimen in warm climates.

Botanical Profile

Family:	Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee)
Genus:	Cereus (KER-ee-us)
Species:	repandus (REP-an-dus)
Synonym:	Cereus grenadensis
Synonym:	Cereus peruvianus
Synonym:	Cereus margaritensis
Synonym:	Cereus remolinensis
Synonym:	Cereus atroviridis

Cultivation Notes

Provide full sun and excellent drainage. Water deeply but infrequently. The night-blooming flowers are large and fragrant, followed by sweet, edible fruits. Protect from hard freezes. A stunning focal point for xeriscapes.

Cactus and Succulents: Diagnosing Apple Tree Fruit and Leaf Problems; Rescuing a Freeze-Damaged Peruvian Apple Cactus in Austin; Pruning Peruvian Apple Cactus: Scars, Timing, and Regrowth Reality; Reviving a Wild Apple Tree: Pruning and Care Guide; Dutchman's Pipe Cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum); Easter Cactus (Hatiora gaertneri): A Popular Holiday Bloomer with Starry Flowers; Engelmann's Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii): A Classic Texas Prickly Pear with Edible Fruits; Ball Cactus (Parodia magnifica): A Handsome Globe with Silky Yellow Spines and Crown of Flowers; Peruvian Old Man Cactus (Espostoa lanata); Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera)

Garden Articles

Apple Tree Bark Separating from Trunk: Tree Dead or Dying—Check for Borers, Fire Blight, Contact Extension

Apple Tree Decline: Fewer Blossoms, Wilted Leaves

Crab Apple White Fluffy Growth: Scale or Powdery Mildew?

Growing Apple Trees from Seed in a Tropical Climate

Tree Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata): Architectural Desert Shrub

Snowball Cactus (Mammilloydia candida): A Dazzling White Globe with Pink-Centered Flowers

Lace Cactus (Echinocereus reichenbachii): A Delicate, Pink-Flowered Cactus

Plants

Diagnosing a Century-Old Apple Tree's Decline

Historic Apple Tree Cavity: Leave Open, Boost Health

Seed-Grown Apple Tree: 10-Year Wait for Fruit

Apple Seedlings: Will Grow Into Trees, But Fruit Quality Is a Lottery

Apple Tree Regrowth from Root Sprouts and Moss Control in Garden Beds

Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis oxygona): Fragrant Night Blooms

Orchid Cactus (Disocactus ackermannii): Red Strap-Stemmed Epiphyte