Origin and Habitat: Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

• Pilosocereus leucocephalus f. cristata hort.
• Azureocereus sp. f. cristatus hort.
• Browningia sp. f. cristatata hort.
• Cephalocereus leucocephalus f. cristatus P.V.Heath

• Pilosocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Britton & Rose
• Cereus flavicomus Salm-Dyck
• Cereus jubatus. Salm-Dyck ex Förster
• Cereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) A.Berger
• Pilocereus flavicomus Rümpler
• Pilocereus jubatus Salm-Dyck
• Pilocereus leucocephalus Poselg.
• Pilosocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Britton & Rose
• Cereus cometes Scheidw.
• Pilocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Mittler ex Förster
• Pilosocereus maxonii (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus maxonii Rose
• Cereus maxonii (Rose) Vaupel
• Pilocereus maxonii (Rose) A.Berger
• Pilosocereus palmeri (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus palmeri Rose
• Cephalophorus palmeri (Rose) Boom
• Cereus palmeri Engelm.
• Cereus victoriensis Vaupel
• Pilocereus palmeri (Rose) F.M.Knuth in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Pilosocereus leucocephalus subs. palmeri (Rose) Scheinvar
• Pilosocereus palmeri var. victoriensis (Vaupel) Backeb.
• Pilosocereus palmeri f. cristatus hort.
• Cephalocereus palmeri f. cristatus P.V.Heath
• Pilosocereus sartorianus (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus sartorianus Rose
• Cereus sartorianus (Rose) Kupper ex A.Berger
• Pilocereus sartorianus (Rose) A.Berger
• Pilosocereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Byles & G.D.Rowley
• Cephalocereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Borg
• Cereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Werderm. in Backeb.
• Pilocereus tehuacanus Weing.

• Pilosocereus leucocephalus f. cristata hort.
• Azureocereus sp. f. cristatus hort.
• Browningia sp. f. cristatata hort.
• Cephalocereus leucocephalus f. cristatus P.V.Heath

Description: Pilosocereus leucocephalusSN|6720]]SN|6720]] is a magnificent branching, tree-like columnar cactus to 6 m tall which branches are clothed in thick silky wool. They are among the most unusual cacti, as the stems are a brilliant blue in colour and should prove an interesting and eye-catching plant both for the specialist collector and for those wanting a somewhat different house plant. The beautiful crested form here depicted (labelled by some as Azureocereus sp. forma cristata or Browningia sp. forma cristata). Anyway (whatever the name is) this crest is very rare in collection and highly priced for its shocking blue colour.
Spines: Short golden and bristly.
Areoles: White, at first woolly later naked.

Cultivation and Propagation: Browningia sp. (Azureocereus) f. cristatata is easy plant that grow large and form beautiful specimens with time. It is sometime seen as a grafted plant but grows on its own roots too.
Soil:Furnish good drainage and use an open and free draining mineral compost that allows therefore roots to breath.
Hardiness: Frost Tolerant as low as -2°C (or possibly colder) but in cultivation it is best to avoid any frost when during the winter the temperature can go down to 2° C without any harm so long as the compost is very dry. During the summer it is best to keep the plants outside where the temperature can rise to over 30 C with no harm to the plant.
Watering: It likes only a short winter's rest and should be kept almost completely dry during the winter months, if the soil is allowed to be dry for too long root loss could follow but equally the same result would occur if the plants are both wet and cold. From March onwards the plant will begin to grow and watering should be increased gradually until late May when the plant should be in full growth.
Water regularly during the summer so long as the plant pot is allowed to drain and not sit in a tray of water. During hot weather you may need to water the plants more frequently so long as the plant is actively growing. From late September watering should be reduced to force the plant to go in to a state of semi dormancy, by October you should be back in to the winter watering regime.
Exposure: Need full sun, if kept too dark it may become overly lush and greener and could be prone to rotting due to over watering.
Fertilization: Feeding may not be necessary at all if the compost is fresh then, feed in summer only if the plant hasn't been repotted recently. Do not feed the plants from September onwards as this can cause lush growth which can be fatal during the darker cold months.
Propagation: Grafting or cuttings. Plants are usually grafted onto column-shaped cacti but proved to be able to produce their own roots if degrafted. Cuttings will take root in a minimum temperature of 20° C (but better in hot weather). Cuttings of healthy shoots can be taken in the spring and summer. Cut the stem with a sharp, sterile knife, leave the cutting in a warm, dry place for a week or weeks (depending on how thick the cutting is) until a callus forms over the wound. Once the callus forms, the cutting may be inserted in a container filled with firmed cactus potting mix topped with a surface layer of coarse grit. They should be placed in the coarse grit only; this prevents the cut end from becoming too wet and allows the roots to penetrate the rich compost underneath. The cuttings should root in 2 to 6 weeks.