Information on Distributed Trichocereus BK Field Accessions
For over two decades we have been involved in a long term interdisciplinary field study of the ethnobotany, ecology, distribution and taxonomy of Trichocereus cacti. We’re aware there is some confusion out there around our Trichocereus BK accessions distributed over the years. For clarity, we recently began work on a document that catalogs all 40+ of these field accessions together in one place. While fleshing out the descriptions more thoroughly, we’re incorporating greater detail about the Andean habitat of each collection, including companion plants associates, plus additional ethnobotany and regional history. We also recognize the value in sharing information about distribution — what year we originally introduced an accession into cultivation, what it was (seed, cuttings, seedlings), what has been distributed over the ensuing years, and approximate quantities. We had naively thought we could pull this together into a new web page, featuring photos of the plants, both in-situ and ex-situ, by winter solstice… Well, it turns out that this is a much larger undertaking than we’d anticipated! In our scant ‘spare’ time, we’ve been looking over thousands of photos, reading through our old field notes, two decades of Sacred Succulents catalogs, and hundreds of pages of SS supplements, rare plant lists, etc, not to mention additional reference material. We now endeavor to work on this in stages, updating the webpage periodically, with the goal to have the entire project completed by spring 2025. We hope to have an initial set of Trichocereus BK descriptions and images posted in the next couple weeks!
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Coming soon! —
A full descriptive & photographic account of our Trichocereus BK accessions that we have distributed.
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This page is informational, for Trichocereus available to order, see our Specimen Plant List
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Key to BK accessions:
Example: Trichocereus cuzcoensis BK08526.4 (=T. peruvianus v. cuzcoensis) “Hawaq’ollay” “San Pedro Agreste”
= Genus, species, Accession#[see breakdown below↓], (= synonym), “local names” and/or “common names”
BK = Ben Kamm; the next two #s designate the year the accession was made [08 = 2008]; the next # is the month [5 = May]; the next two #s are the day of the month [26 = the 26th]; finally, the # after the period is the sequence within the collections we made that day [.4 = the fourth plant accession that day].
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List of Trichocereus accessions collected & distributed by Ben Kamm (BK)
Under construction—more info and photos coming!
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Trichocereus bridgesii BK08603.3 “Achuma” “Bolivian San Pedro”
Large stands to 12’+, 3–3.5″+ diameter blue-green stems, 2–3″ long spines. Classic T. bridgesii, growing with Prosopis aff. alba, Ephedra americana, Puya sp., Corryocactus melanotrichus, Oreocereus pseudofossulatus, Echinopsis bridgesii, Carica quercifolia, Opuntia teres, Dodonaea viscosa, etc., Hacienda Huajchilla, Murillo Province, south-east of La Paz City, over 10,000′, Bolivia. Remnant dry forest/semi-arid thorn scrub in the broad valley carved out by the Rio La Paz. We were told that this was once among the favored spots for local herbalists to harvest Achuma for the famous Mercado de las Brujas & La Hechiceria (Witches’ Market) of La Paz City, but when we arrived the whole area was under development as a wealthy suburb. These specific T. bridgesii populations are undoubtedly gone as they were threatened by impending golf and tennis courts when we collected this seed in 2008… The populations on the surrounding mountain slopes, which include some interesting monstrose plants, have hopefully remained untouched. Z9a
- What has been distributed: Seed—several thousand between 2008–11; several dozen seedlings between 2011–14; cuttings from several seed grown plants have occasionally been offered since 2015, though rarely in recent years.
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Trichocereus bridgesii BK08608.2 “Achuma” “Bolivian San Pedro”
Thick stand of plants with somewhat freakish monstrose growth, especially at the tips where the tissue was very convoluted. The rather abominable mutant growth looked like it was due to a mealy-bug pest seen in the fissures of the plant. These unforgettable T. bridgesii were growing just beyond the edge of the suburbs, in the mountains north-east of La Paz City, La Paz, Bolivia, above 12,000′. Occurring with Tillandsia, Austrocylindropuntia, Baccharis, and Dunalia species, etc. Our friend and artist Efrain Ortuno was excited to show us this uncanny, “potent” population of ‘mutant’ plants in 2008. He informed us that these grotesque specimens were specially regarded by local curanderos and that there were plants among this population that sometimes produced red flowers… and he showed us his painting to “prove” it! Our surviving plant has yet to bloom, so we can’t confirm flower color. We collected a few seed and 1 cutting (quarantined & thoroughly cleaned of pests). We planted all of the scant seed only to lose the seedlings the first year to rodents—none had shown true monstrose growth prior to the mouse’s banquet. After the sterilization of the mealy-bugs and quarantine, the cutting returned to normal and has not expressed mutant growth since. None-the-less, this remains a beautiful and coveted accession among collectors… those who dream that some memory of bizarre, convoluted growth lies dormant within the plant’s tissue, ready to reassert itself (sans mealies!) under the right conditions to our awe and appalled delight! Z9a
- What has been distributed: Cuttings of 1 clone. We’ve only offered cuttings of this clone a handful of times between 2016 and the present, though very rarely in recent years.
↑ BK08608.2 ↑
↑ Efrain Ortuno’s painting of red flowered BK08608.2 ↑
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Trichocereus bridgesii BK08608.3 “Achuma” “Bolivian San Pedro”
Seed from broad stands to 12′ + tall, 3.5–4″+ diameter blue-green stems, spined to nearly spineless—very similar to SS02 in appearance. These were a ‘normal’ form growing among bizarre, monstrose plants (BK08608.2) that appeared mutated due to a mealy-bug infestation. These remnant populations were observed in 2008, growing with with Tillandsia, Austrocylindropuntia, Baccharis, and Dunalia species, as well as introduced Cupressus and Sparteum junceum, on the edge of the suburbs, in the mountains north-east of La Paz City, La Paz, Bolivia, at well over 12,000′. May now be lost to development—at the time there were signs people had not only been harvesting the cactus for El Mercado de las Brujas, but had been removing it entirely from the hillsides—there were large heaps where the cactus had been cut and discarded with trash. We were informed by our artist friend, Efrain Ortuno, that this locale had long been known among local Aymara herbalists and it was here that a highly “potent” population of “rose-red flowered Achuma” occurred! None of our plants have bloomed yet, so we can neither dismiss or confirm his assertion; for now, we can only daydream that such a unique trait would show up in our seed grown offspring. So far, the progeny are a bit spinier than the ‘wild’ parents and have not yet expressed any mutations. This accession is little known in cultivation, one of several unique San Pedro we’ve largely kept for our own studies. Certainly a “must have” for the serious collector, it’s been some years since we offered this mysterious, endangered accession at all. Z9a
- What has been distributed: Seed—several hundred in 2008; around a dozen seedlings between 2011–16; less than a dozen cuttings total, from several seed grown plants, have been offered since 2016.
- Clone A: one of our seed grown plants, selected for its attractive spination and hardiness—the mother has endured full exposure through many harsh seasons unscathed. Our distribution of this clone has been minimal.
↑ BK08608.3 ↑
↑ BK08608.3 clone A ↑
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Trichocereus bridgesii BK08608.4 “Achuma” “Bolivian San Pedro”
Healthy and super robust stands of blue-green columns to 10′ + tall. 3–4″ thick stems, long spines, large white flowers and fruit. Growing at Parque El Vergel, east La Paz City, above the Rio Irpavi, 11,500′, Bolivia. This area is now one of the more affluent neighborhoods of La Paz, yet we were told this region was once biodiverse dry-forest, thick with tall, dense “walls” of T. bridgesii (a close-by zone is named Achumani) before the Bolivian military’s Achuma eradication program in the 1970s, and later urban development for the bourgeoisie, razed the unique ecosystem and reduced the cactus to a denizen of parks and steep hillsides. This seed accession came from some of the nicest plants we saw around the La Paz basin—the bluest and most uniformly fat stems. Rarely offered, but has become a high valued accession among collectors. In addition to the well known ceremonial uses, T. bridgesii is an ingredient in traditional misa offerings, the sap is said to be good for rabies, the flowers are a diuretic, the sweet fruit relished by children, and the stem flesh used for wound healing, mumps, and cancer. Z9a
- What has been distributed: Seed—around a thousand in 2008; a couple dozen seedlings between 2011–13, cuttings from several seed grown plants have occasionally been offered since 2014, though rarely in recent years.
↑ BK08608.4 ↑
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Trichocereus cuzcoensis BK02 (=T. peruvianus v. cuzcoensis) “Hawaq’ollay” “San Pedro Agreste”
The second official plant accession we ever recorded [& prior to our current accession # methods], during our second trip to Peru, at the age of 21 in 1996. A huge stand of dozens of upright and sprawling stems to over 15′ tall and more than 20′ in diameter, one of the biggest single plants we’ve ever seen of this species! Olive-green to blue blushed skin, numerous spines from 1 to 3.5″ long, emerging golden with the new growth and fading gray with age. White flowers, edible fruit. Many of the spiny stems were clothed in several silvery Tillandsia species, with epiphytic orchids, Peperomia and Pilea sprouting on the branches among these bromeliads! Growing among Baccharis and other shrubs in the Urubamba Valley bottom, around 9000′, not far from the river, along the Incan trail and some miles north of the Incan stronghold of Ollantaytambo (the final holdout of Incan resistance in the Sacred Valley to the Spanish invaders until 1537), Cusco Dept., Peru. This useful Trichocereus is a denizen of the interAndean valleys and eastern slopes of the Andes, from central to southern Peru. This broad distribution is likely at least partly anthropogenic, as this has been an important utilitarian and ethnomedicinal species since antiquity and is often found at archaeological sites today. We observed sections of de-spined stems being offered by Quechua vendors at the Cascaparo herbal market in Cusco City as a remedy for headaches, burns, fevers, flu, to reduce swelling from injuries, and for use as a “kind of shampoo” (or leave-in conditioner) said to treat baldness by promoting hair growth and protecting the hair from the elements while giving it a satiny sheen. In fact, we were told that the impressively long, beautiful hair of many Quechua women was due to their use of the cactus. Stem tissue was said to be “eaten in salads as a contraceptive”, though we’ve never been able to confirm details or efficacy. The sap of the cactus has a long history of use as a finish on adobe walls. Ethnobotanist Rob Montgomery later came across the flowers of this species being sold in a Cusco market for use as a heart tonic tea and for “flying”. Rarely offered, we originally distributed it as Trichocereus peruvianus v. cuzcoensis. Z8b?
- What has been distributed: Cuttings of 1 clone, offered less than a dozen times since 2009.
Making Hawaq’ollay ‘shampoo’ with T. cuzcoensis ↓
Our heartfelt gratitude to the Quespe family in Chinchero, Cusco Dept., Peru for sharing their knowledge.
↑ Cut and de-spined stems ↑
↑ Making ‘shampoo’ by shredding the cactus with a comb in a bowel of water ↑
↑ The completed ‘shampoo’, ready for use ↑
↑ Rubbing the ‘shampoo’ into the hair; it can be rinsed after 45 minutes or simply left in ↑
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Trichocereus cuzcoensis BK08519.4 (=T. peruvianus v. cuzcoensis) “Hawaq’ollay” “San Pedro Agreste”
Upright to sprawling and decumbent columns to 10′. Yellow/gold to gray spines, up to 3″+ long. Many specimens were covered in small Tillandsia, giving the stems a fuzzy appearance. Populations growing near the base of the mountain on which the Incan site occurs, on steep, rocky cliffs overlooking the Urubamba River, a couple miles outside outside the modern town of Pisac, Cusco Dept., Peru, near 10,000′. Occurring with the ‘new’ Echeveria cuscoensis (which we helped describe), Ephedra americana, Peperomia galioides, P. aff. lanuginosa, P. peruviana, Pilea sp. & P. serpyllacea, Oxalis sp., Puya sp., several Tillandsia, Corryocactus erectus, Lobivia sp., Salvia oppositiflora, Calceolaria sp., etc. This is an important ethnomedicinal species, growing wild and widely planted throughout the region, sometimes as a living fence. The stems are made into a highly regarded ‘shampoo’ that is said to “cure baldness” and headaches. Also used for cough, soar throat, and external wound healing, etc. Scant seed was collected and a single small cutting which was deposited with Dr. Pino in Lima, Peru for the Jardin Botanico. Z8b
- What has been distributed: Seed—only 10 seed in 2008 to supporters of our expedition; a cutting was deposited with Dr. Guillermo Pino in 2008 for the Jardin Botanico, Parque de las Leyendas, in Lima, Peru.
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Trichocereus cuzcoensis BK08526.4 (=T. peruvianus v. cuzcoensis) “Hawaq’ollay” “San Pedro Agreste”
Our rarely offered accession of this beautiful and misunderstood species. The mother was a large upright stand to about 12′ tall, dark green to bluish stems partially clothed in Tillandsia, long spines: yellow to pale gray/white in this clone. Large, sweetly scented, nocturnal white flowers, edible fruit. Growing with Mutisia acuminata, Bomarea sp, Tropaeolum sp., Clematis sp., Dioscorea sp., Lobivia sp., etc., at the ruins of the sprawling Incan city of Raqchi, amongst the hundreds of round qolqas (storage buildings), located on a prominent ridge overlooking a broad valley along the Vilcanota River, Canchis Province, southern Cusco Dept, Peru, near 11,500′. Clear signs of harvesting – considered a “San Pedro” and utilized as medicine since antiquity. Sections of de-spined stems can still be found for sale at the traditional Cusco markets for use as a famous ‘shampoo’ said to protect hair and promote its growth—even reversing baldness. While we have never had the diligence to adequately test this on our own denuded pate, we have observed firsthand its impressive efficacy for alleviating altitude headaches when rubbed into the scalp and forehead. The flesh of the cactus is also reported as a traditional contraceptive and remedy for burns, fevers, swellings, flu, etc. There are reports the flowers are used for “flying”. The sap is utilized as a natural sealant for adobe walls. Easy to grow and hardy. We’ve only distributed a handful of cuttings of this clone. Z8b
- What has been distributed: Cuttings of 1 clone, offered less than a dozen times since 2018.
↑ BK08526.4 ↑
↑ T. cuzcoensis ‘shampoo’ & de-spined stem ↑
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Trichocereus lamprochlorus? BK10508.4
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Trichocereus pachanoi BK08611.4 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
↑ BK08611.4 clone A ↑
↑ BK08611.4 clone B ↑
↑ BK08611.4 mutant clone ↑
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Trichocereus pachanoi BK08611.5 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
↑ BK08611.5 mother ↑
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Trichocereus pachanoi BK14518.4 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
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Trichocereus pachanoi f. cristata/monstrosus BK14518.5 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
↑ BK14518.5 ↑
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Trichocereus aff. pachanoi BK10508.1 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
↑ BK10508.1 ↑
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Trichocereus aff. pachanoi BK10508.5 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
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Trichocereus aff. pachanoi BK10512.11 “K’ulala” “San Pedro”
↑ BK10512.11 ↑
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Trichocereus pasacana/terscheckii BK151012.1 “Pasacana” “Cardon Santos”
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Trichocereus pasacana BK151012.2 “Pasacana” “Cardon Santos”
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Trichocereus pasacana BK151012.3 “Pasacana” “Cardon Santos”
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Trichocereus pasacana BK151014.1 “Pasacana” “Cardon Santos”
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Trichocereus pasacana BK151014.9 “Pasacana” “Cardon Santos”
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Trichocereus peruvianus BK08612.4 “Pichu” “San Pedro Macho”
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Trichocereus peruvianus BK08612.9 “Pichu” “San Pedro Macho”
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Trichocereus peruvianus BK14518.9 “Pichu” “San Pedro Macho”
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Trichocereus aff. peruvianus f. monstrosus BK151019.1 “Pichu” “San Pedro Macho”
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Trichocereus riomizquensis BK10508.7 “Achuma”
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Trichocereus riomizquensis BK10512.1 “Achuma”
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Trichocereus riomizquensis BK10512.4 “Achuma”
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Trichocereus santaensis BK09509.9 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
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Trichocereus santaensis BK09509.10 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
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Trichocereus santaensis BK09511.7 “Huachuma” “San Pedro”
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Trichocereus terscheckii BK151015.3 “Cardon Santos” “Huachuma Gigante”
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Trichocereus totorensis BK10509.19
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Trichocereus sp. BK08601.1 “Hawakolla”
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Trichocereus sp. BK08601.2 “Hawakolla”
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Trichocereus sp. BK09508.2 “San Pedro de Chavín”
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Trichocereus sp. BK09508.7 “San Pedro de Chavín”
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Trichocereus sp. BK09509.1 “San Pedro de Chavín”
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Trichocereus sp. BK09509.2 “San Pedro de Chavín”
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Trichocereus sp. BK14515.17
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Trichocereus sp. BK14515.23
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Trichocereus sp. nova? BK151013.5
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This page is informational, for Trichocereus available to order, see our Specimen Plant List
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About the genus Trichocereus
Large genus of some 50–80+ species native to the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Decades ago Trichocereus was merged with the closely related genus Echinopsis, then recently segregated again to Trichocereus but with questionable changes, leading to great confusion. In many ways this genus is a perfect case study in the absurd modern trends in armchair taxonomy. Here we recognize Trichocereus as a distinct genus, variable in size and form; sometimes low growing multi-branching colonies, others large candelabra-like stands(the “San Pedros”), to imposing tree-like giants. All produce large funnel shaped flowers that are often sweetly scented. These magnificent flowers are either white and nocturnal or multi-colored and diurnal. The fruits are edible and quite delicious. Often mistakenly thought of as sun-baked desert plants, many of these species are in fact integral members of forest ecosystems –– from Prosopis and Anadenanthera dry forests to Polylepis cloudforests. The oldest depiction of a succulent plant (and possibly of its propagation) is an anthropomorphic being carrying what is assumed to be a rooted Trichocereus cutting at the 3000 year old temple of Chavín de Huantar in the central Peruvian Andes. Today cuttings are often planted as living fences throughout South America. Flower petals and the inner flesh of most species are excellent external remedies for wounds and burns much like Aloe vera. A medley of species, known locally as “San Pedro”, “Huachuma” in Quechua, or “Achuma” in Aymara, are central to the Curanderismo healing traditions of the Andes. Cut stems of some species are traditionally used to “purify” water and in some regions made into an esteemed shampoo. All are relatively fast growing, very easy care for, and fairly cold & wet tolerant. For the best growth provide a rich, well-drained soil, plenty of horizontal root room, bright light, regular water and balanced nutrients during spring and summer. Trichocereus provide some of the best long lived grafting stocks. We began hybridizing Trichocereus in 1996 and have introduced hundreds of unique crosses over the years. Increasingly popular as drought hardy landscape specimens, there has been a surge of interest in the horticultural merit of Trichocereus. In fact, in what we have come to think of as Trichomania, the number of collectors has skyrocketed in past decade from a couple hundred worldwide to many thousands!
Note: For optimal haleness and resilience, we grow our Trichocereus “hard”, it is not unusual for the cuttings we offer to have a bit of a weathered look, similar to plants in habitat, as many come from our mother plants grown outside year round, exposed to the full barrage of northern California elements — winter months of heavy rain, regular frost in the mid to low 20°s F (& usually 1-2 weeks in the high to mid teens), then the hot summer sun and recurring dry periods. The seedlings and plants in the greenhouse are grown in bright filtered light, are given seasonal dry cycles, and exposed to cold in the high to mid 30°s F during winter. We feed all of our Trichocereus enough organic food to support vigor, but we do not push them for maximum growth — heavy fertilizing may produce fast growth with an alluring “unblemished” look, but 30 years of experience has demonstrated that such plants tend to be notably less sturdy and more prone to pests & problems. Our goal has always been to offer the hardiest plants possible.
Trichocereus Companions:
In habitat, Trichocereus occur with a diverse array of companion plants and we encourage you to try growing them with some of their commonly associated Andean species: in grouped plantings, in pots side by side, or even in the same pots—many associates are low growing or groundcovers that can be planted around the base of the columns. Consider your climate, growing environment and how the following plant allies may complement your Trichocereus specimens: cacti such as Borzicactus spp., Cleistocactus spp., Corryocactus spp., Armatocereus spp., Lobivia spp., etc.; small succulents such as Peperomia galioides & other aromatic Peperomia spp., Echeveria & Sedum spp., Pilea spp., shrubby Ephedra spp., to larger succulent companions like Agave cordillerensis & Furcraea spp., floriferous Puya & other terrestrial bromeliads (Abromeitiella, Deuterocohnia, etc.), or caudiciform papaya like Carica & Jacaratia; the xerophytic Barbaceniopsis vargesii; flowering bulbs—Cypella, Eustephia, Stenomesson, etc.; ferns like Blechnum, Cheilanthes & Pellaea spp.; climbers such as Bomarea spp., Ipomoea & Dioscorea spp., Passiflora spp., Mutisia acuminata, etc.; low shrubs like the xerophytic perennial tobacco Nicotiana benavidesii & other Nicotiana spp., Siphocampylus tupaeformis, Baccharis spp., Calceolaria spp., Begonia spp., the furry leafed Lessingianthus asteroflorus, Salvia spp., fruiting Lycium, Myrteola & Ugni spp., Pernettya & Vaccinium & other neotropical blueberries (Disterigma, Cavendishia, Ceratostema, Macleania, Satyria, etc.),; tall shrubs & trees like Colletia ulicina, Luma spp., Buddleja spp., Aristotelia chilensis, Sambucus peruviana, Anadenanthera colubrina, Polylepis & Escallonia spp., Alnus & Podocarpus spp., Geoffroa & Zizyphus; etc. Or use your imagination and choose plants from other regions of the world to fit a similar companion niche! (Check throughout the Specimen Plant List for such plants).
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