We depend on donations from users of our database of over 8000 edible and useful plants to keep making it available free of charge and to further extend and improve it. In recent months donations are down, and we are spending more than we receive. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Cereus repandus - (L.) Mill.

Common Name Peruvian apple cactus
Family Cactaceae
USDA hardiness 9-12
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Often grows in thickets, sometimes forming the dominant feature of the landscape[529 ].
Range Northern S. America - Venezuela; Caribbean - Grenada, Netherlands Antilles.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Tender Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Cereus repandus Peruvian apple cactus


edibleplants.org
Cereus repandus Peruvian apple cactus
wikimedia.org KENPEI

 

Translate this page:

Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of cone
Cereus repandus is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m (32ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Cactus repandus L.

Habitats

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit
Edible Uses:

Fruit - raw[377 ]. The white flesh has a mild, sweet flavour[377 ]. The fruits often split open whilst still on the plant[377 ]. The dark red (occasionally white), oblong fruit is 3 - 4cm long[529 ].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

Hedge

Good in pots. Cereus repandus is an unresearched, under-utilized cactus, grown mostly as an ornamental plant.

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Food Forest  Hedge

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Management: Standard  Regional Crop

A plant of drier areas in the tropics. It will stand very high temperatures, but is not too frost hardy - probably able to survive a few degrees of frost[377 ]. Prefers a position in full sun and a well-drained soil[377 ]. Prefers a pH lower than 6[200 ]. Supported by a scaffold, C. repandus has grown to a height of 110 feet (34 meters) technically making this the tallest cactus plant in the world, although no cactus under natural conditions exceeds eighty-two feet (25 meters) in height in the case of C. stenogonus. The large, cream-colored, nocturnal flowers remain open for only one night.

Carbon Farming

  • Agroforestry Services: Living fence  Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
  • Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
  • Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

Shop Now

Propagation

Seed

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Giant Club Cactus, Hedge Cactus, Apple Cactus, Peruvian Apple Cactus, Peruvian Apple, Peruvian Tree Cactus

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Caribbean, Colombia, Guianas, Netherlands Antilles, South America, Venezuela

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

None Known

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Status: Least Concern

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Acanthocereus tetragonusPitahaya. Barbed-wire cactus.Tree5.0 10-12 SLMND303
Cereus hildmannianusHildmania cactus, Hedge cactusTree9.0 9-12 SLMNDM302
Hylocereus megalanthusYellow PitayaShrub2.0 10-12 FLMHNDM432
Hylocereus undatusDragon Fruit, Red PitayaShrub4.0 10-12 FLMHSNDM402
Pachycereus hollianusBaboso, AcompesPerennial4.0 9-11 MLMNDM003
Stenocereus griseusCactaceae. Pitaya, Organpipe cactusTree7.0 10-12 MLMND302
Stenocereus stellatusJoconostle cactus, Baja organ pipe cactusShrub2.0 9-11 MLMSNDM302

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Expert comment

Author

(L.) Mill.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Cereus repandus  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.