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Myrtillocactus geometrizans
Also called Bilberry cactus, Blue-flame, Our-father, Whortleberry cactus
Blue myrtle-cactus is a fast-growing, shrubby columnar cactus native to central and northern Mexico, grown for its blue-green ribbed stems and edible berries. Give it full sun, sharp drainage and infrequent watering.
Myrtillocactus geometrizans (bilberry cactus, whortleberry cactus, blue myrtle cactus, or blue candle) is a species of cactus in the genus Myrtillocactus, native to central and northern Mexico.
It is a popular species in cultivation, where young plants commonly remain unbranched for many years. The fruit is edible and sold for consumption in Mexico.
The bilberry cactus is fast growing, and is often used as grafting stock because of this. With favourable conditions it can reach heights of up to 15 feet.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Myrtillocactus geometrizans 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.
