Top 9 Tall Types of Cactus Plants

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

4/19/20246 min read

In the diverse world of cacti, certain tall species stand as natural skyscrapers, mostly in dry landscapes. These tall cactus plants have unique features and benefits.

From the blue hues of Browningia hertlingiana to the amazing stature of the Saguaro Cactus, we explore 9 remarkable tall cacti which we also saw and inspected, each with its own features.

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two tall cacti standing between other high cactus plants
two tall cacti standing between other high cactus plants
tall Lophocerus Marginatus Cactus plants
tall Lophocerus Marginatus Cactus plants

Lophocereus Marginatus

Lophocereus Marginatus can reach 3.7-6.1 meters (12-20 feet). Known commonly as the Mexican Fence Post Cactus, it bears a sturdy body with dark green-gray columnar stems. After inspecting it w saw that the well-defined ribs parallel with white spines along the edges, make it a nice choice for outdoor hedges or barriers, similar to the boxwood shrubs.

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Gray Gost Oragan Pipe cacti standing in a cactus glashouse
Gray Gost Oragan Pipe cacti standing in a cactus glashouse

Gray Ghost Organ Pipe

Native to the warm realms of southern and central Mexico, the Gray Ghost Organ Pipe cactus reaches a striking height of 4.9-6.1 meters (16-20 feet). Similar to the Lophocereus Marginatus but with fewer and smaller thorns, its steems are gray-green. Parallel to most of cactus plants, its ideal watering time frame in the growing phase is once per week, and in the dormit period about every 4 to 6 weeks.

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bright green Candelabra Cactus plants
bright green Candelabra Cactus plants

Candelabra Cactus

Native to South America, the Candelabra Cactus, or Pilosocereus azureus, stands at about 4.6m (15 ft). Its bright green coloration makes it an amazing cactus in the countries of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The cactus is an amazing plant for adding tropical biodiversity as a tall garden plant in your garden.

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Saguaro Cactus

We found that the iconic Saguaro Cactus, native to the American Southwest, can stretch skywards to over stunning 12 meters (40 feet). Its towering outdoor cactus presence has a lifespan that extends to hundreds of years, which makes the tall cactus not just a type of low-maintenance cactus, but one of the tallest cacti in the world.

the masive Saguaro Cactus satanding alone in a desert
the masive Saguaro Cactus satanding alone in a desert
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two tall Browningia Hertlingiana cacti in a glashouse
two tall Browningia Hertlingiana cacti in a glashouse

Standing at a majestic 7.6-9 meters (25-30 feet) tall, the Browningia hertlingiana covers the landscape with its tall columns of blue-green stems and has almost identical thorns like the Xiquexique Gounellei. When the night descends, the cactus captivates with its white night-blooming flowers, each nestled amidst multiple ribs and spines.

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Browningia Hertlingiana

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a few Xiquexique Gounellei tall cactus stems growing together
a few Xiquexique Gounellei tall cactus stems growing together

Xiquexique Gounellei

Primarily manifesting as a shrub, the Xiquexique gounellei can also take on a tree-like form, matching with the Saguaro Cactus. This cactus plant reaches a height range of 0.5 to 4 meters (1.6 to 13.1 feet). The branches turn from upright to crooked or even horizontal with age. The olive green color, add a touch of wilderness no matter if in a garden or in its native Caatinga biome.

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one Cane Cholla cactus with a yellow flower and white thorns
one Cane Cholla cactus with a yellow flower and white thorns

Cane Cholla

The Cane Cholla scientifically known as Cylindropuntia imbricata stands at a moderate height of 2.4 meters (8 feet), but this is still a good height its cylindrical stem segments covered in sharp spines. This cactus is not just a sight to behold but also a reminder of the harsh yet beautiful desert landscapes, with bright, yellow or red cactus flowers, but keep in mind these are not flowers that bloom at night.

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a lot of bush-like and tall Blue Myrtle Cacti in a desert
a lot of bush-like and tall Blue Myrtle Cacti in a desert

Blue Myrtle Cactus

The Blue Myrtle Cactus, but also the Gray Ghost Organ Pipe are native to Mexico. The Cactus in a candelabra shape reaches up to 4.5m (15ft) tall and 5m (16ft) wide. Its stems are crowned with prominent white ribs, making it perfect for outdoor cactus landscaping in a proper cactus soil mix.

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a long cactus with yellow spines called Golden Torch
a long cactus with yellow spines called Golden Torch

Golden Torch

The optimal watering time for this cactus in the growing period is once in 1-2 weeks, growing to a height of 2.1 meters (7 feet). When night falls, its large, white flowers bloom, creating an interesting desert spectacle. And while the cactus plant grows, the thorns get more rare and bigger similar to the Browningia hertlingiana and Xiquexique gounellei.

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Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to support the facts we describe in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Saguaro Cactus: Saguaro | Description, Distribution, & Facts | Britannica

  2. Golden Torch (Cactus): Soehrensia spachiana - Wikipedia

  3. Gray Ghost Organ Pipe Cactus, Pachycereus marginatus: Pachycereus marginatus (Mexican Fence Post Cactus) (gardenia.net)

  4. Candelabra Cactus: Euphorbia candelabrum - Wikipedia

  5. Xiquexique gounellei: Xiquexique gounellei - Wikipedia

  6. Browningia hertlingiana: Browningia hertlingiana – Wikipedia

  7. Lophocereus Marginatus: Lophocereus marginatus - Wikipedia

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
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Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He owns this website and is responsible for most of the content.

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Florin, a more technical guy, is responsible for designing, reviewing updating the articles but also optimizing for SEO so that everything we publish is deam good.