This columnar cactus is in the specimen beds nearest the shuttle gate. It is easy to identify with the solid white margin along ribs that display its spines.
Like the Cardon cactus, Fencepost is part of the Pachycereus genus. The common name of Fencepost references its cultivation to create living fences. With a maximum height around 16 feet, it does make a formidable barrier when placed close together.
Mature specimens bloom red, funnel-shaped flowers with pink interiors in rows down the rib margins.
Fencepost’s distribution is in Mexico, and includes the states of Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca, Colima, Michoacán, and Guerrero.
