Species · genus Borzicactus · Cactaceae
Monkey's Tail
Cleistocactus colademononis (Diers & Krahn) Mottram
Also known as: Monkey Tail Cactus
Cultivars of C. colademononis
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under C. colademononis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
A Trailing Bolivian Cactus
Cleistocactus colademononis is a trailing cactus with long, cylindrical, fleshy stems densely clothed in white, hair-like spines. It carries an RHS Award of Garden Merit and is grown mainly as a hanging basket subject under glass.
Source: RHS
Native To Bolivia
This species comes from Santa Cruz in Bolivia, where it grows as a succulent subshrub or lithophyte in desert and dry shrubland. It has travelled under several names, having been described as Hildewintera colademononis and later placed as a subspecies of Cleistocactus winteri before settling into its current genus.
Source: Kew
Sun, Sand, And Drought
Grow this cactus in standard cactus compost, in full light, with low humidity, ideally in a conservatory or temperate greenhouse. Water moderately through the growing season and feed monthly with a dilute low-nitrogen fertiliser, then keep it completely dry from mid-autumn through to spring. It wants full sun, sharp drainage, and tolerates drought well.
Source: RHS
Cuttings Or Seed
New plants can be raised from stem cuttings taken in summer, or from seed sown in spring.
Source: RHS
Fuzzy Trailing Stems
The stems are cylindrical and fleshy, reaching up to a metre long, and densely covered in white, hair-like spines that give the plant its shaggy look. In spring it produces red or pink flowers up to 5cm long. Its habit is trailing and evergreen, best shown off in a hanging basket.
Source: RHS
Watch For Mealybugs
Mealybugs are the pest most likely to trouble this plant, so it is worth checking the fuzzy stems for their telltale signs.
Source: RHS
Root Rot Risk
The main problem to guard against is root rot, which tends to follow from too much moisture, particularly if the dry winter rest is skipped.
Source: RHS
Little Upkeep Needed
No pruning is required for this cactus, and it takes two to five years to reach maturity, with a maximum height and spread of around half a metre to a metre.
Source: RHS
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Direct sun
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
10–30 °C
Gritty, fast-draining cactus mix
Stem cuttings allowed to callus before potting
Dilute cactus feed once or twice in summer
Slow
Deep red tubular flowers on mature, well-lit plants
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Monkey's Tail yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
Sign in to add what you know →