Pronounciation: Or-ee-oo-SEAR-ee-us cell-see-A-nus

Hardiness zones
Sunset 12, 13 and 17-24 (with soil dryness)
USDA 9-11

Landscape Use: Specimen focal point, xeriscape, large scale desert gardens with ample space to accomodate its ultimate size.

Form & Character: Columnar cactus, upright and arborescent, stiff and very imposing, dangerous, well armed, yet cute, arid.

Growth Habit: Evergreen succulent, slow to 10-feet tall with somewhat lessor spread, sparingly branching, often shorter in Phoenix.

Foliage/Texture: Stems to 6-inches thick, 10 to 25 rounded and tuberous ribs with glaucous green knobby areoles, aeroles having 4 to 6 short reddish brown spines, younger stems covered with a dense mat of "fluffy" and elongated white filaments; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers elongated to 3-inches wide, tubular, purplish-pink, growing near the shoot apices; fruits are spherical.

Seasonal Color: Flowers during the spring.

Temperature: Old man of the mountain is generally tolerant of temperature ranges in Phoeinx if given some protection from the hot summer western sun.

Light: Performs best with some partial light shade of desert trees to protect from hot summer western sun. Specimens in full sun without western sun protection can sunburn.

Soil: Well drained

Watering: Little to none.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Seed, stem cuttings (4-inches to 6-feet long) planted directly into the ground a few months after removal from mother plant. This delay is in order to give the cut stem time to callus.

Disease and Pests: Root rot if soil is poorly drained.

Additional comments: Old man of the moutain is a wonderful columnar specimen that will dominate as a focal point of discussion when used in any desert garden. A real conversation plant for us desert dwellers.

Taxonomic tidbit: The specific epithet celsianus is named after the French gardener, Jean-François Cels (1810-1888).