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Cephalocereus senilis
Also called White Persian Cat Cactus, Bunny Cactus, Old Man Of Mexico
Old Man Cactus is a tall columnar cactus from central Mexico, covered in long white hairs that give it a shaggy look. It is grown mainly for that woolly appearance, and it needs very sharp drainage and plenty of bright sun.
Cephalocereus senilis, the old man cactus, is a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild populations.
Cephalocereus senilis is a very popular cactus in cultivation, grown for its woolly appearance. It prefers a very well-drained soil mix (more so than many other cacti), and much bright sunlight, which encourages growth of the hair.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cephalocereus senilis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
