Tallest cactus species

The tallest cactus species is the cardón or elephant cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) native to the Sonoran Desert in north-west Mexico (across the states of Sonora, Baja California and Baja California Sur), which on average can attain heights of 10 m (33 ft), but a 19.2-m (63-ft) specimen was discovered by Marc Salak and Jeff Brown while hiking in Baja California in April 1995, and there are reports of examples even exceeding 20 m (66 ft).

Other members of the Pachycereus genus, such as P. militaris and P. weberii, might also attain similar heights.

Not far behind the cardón is the closely related saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) of Arizona and California, USA (indeed, it is the largest naturalized cactus in the USA), and Sonora, Mexico, which can occasionally also reach in excess of 15 m (49 ft) in height. An exceptional specimen discovered in the Maricopa Mountains, near Gila Bend, Arizona, USA, on 17 January 1988 was measured at 17.67 m (57 ft 11.75 in).

Both types of columnar cacti, the cardón and saguaro are capable of reaching such heights owing to their equally superlative longevity among cacti, with estimated lifespans of 200-300 years for the largest documented specimens.