How to Distinguish Saguaro, Terscheckii, and Cardon Columnar Cactus

The American (Arizona) Saguaro (Carnegeia gigantea) grows primarily in central to southern Arizona. Although there is a small community in southeast California along the southern portion of the Colorado river, just before it empties into the Sea of Cortez of western Mexico. The Carnegiea Gigantea, “Saguaro”, and Pachycereus Pringlei, “Cardon”, are very similar cacti with extremely dissimilar growth rates. The Saguaro can grow over 50 feet (15 meters) tall with many branching arms, but it may take up to 75 years for it to develop its arms, and some specimens may live to twice that age. The ‘Champion Saguaro’ in Arizona is the largest known Saguaro and is over 40 feet (12 meters) tall with a 10 feet (3 meters) trunk. Their growth rate is directly dependent on the amount of water they receive, but they are considered extremely slow growing regardless of regular irrigation or not. While the Saguaro is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Pachycereus Pringlei, or Cardon, is native to the Mexican states of Baja. It is the tallest cactus species known, with a record height of 63 feet (19 meters) tall. There are physical differences between the two plants, but they highly resemble each other. If planted recessed in a drought tolerant garden, they can add both texture and clean architectural lines.
Argentine Saguaro (Trichocereus terscheckii) is from South America, has light ivory colored flowers, and produces huge white trumpet shaped flowers. The spine color tends to be a golden yellow and spine length can be highly variable, ranging from one to two centimeters up to one decimeter. It can grow just as tall as the Arizona Saguaro, but it begins branching much sooner and closer to the base of the main stem. The branches typically grow very close to the main stem almost as if hugging or protecting the stem. terscheckii has fewer but longer spines than saguaros do. The flowers are also larger and have longer floral tubes, and can bloom anytime between April and October, while saguaro flowers mainly appear only in May and June. This view has several columnar cactus species in it.
The Mexican Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) that grows in the north Baja Peninsula (Baja California Norte) has dense protective spines when young, but becomes mostly spineless as it matures into a massive specimen tree. Cardon arms grow lower down then those of a Saguaro cactus and they do not have as many spines. Also, if you look carefully, their 'folds' are deeper and wider than those of the Saguaro. The color of the Cardon cactus is also a grayer color of green than the Saguaro.
When small the American Saguaro and the Mexican Cardon look very similar, each covered by dense thickets of spines. Look closely and you’ll see the Cardon typically has more spines than the Saguaro. Depending on where they came from, the bodies of both could be fat or skinny. However, Cardon tends to be very narrow at the bottom.
Growing to maturity, all three species of columnar cacti no longer waste resources producing spines. Cardon is probably the most pronounced at giving up its spines once the column’s robustness no longer needs protection from herbivores.

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Wow, spectacular plants! 🌵😃👍

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Wow Lovely Cactus ^^

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Boa tarde tudo bem com você, assistindo seus vídeos eu vi um cactus lindo , gostaria de saber se vc pode mandar uma muda ou a semente desse cactus saguaro carnegiea para mim,que aqui onde moro não tem desse,desde já agradeço pela sua gentileza.