Peniocereus greggii aka Desert Night Blooming Cereus

Peniocereus greggii is a member of the cactus family. The name of that family is Cactaceae. Its native range starts in southeastern Arizona and reaches western Texas. The range also takes in northern Mexico. It grows in deserts and in dry land with shrubs. The RHS lists the plant as non-native to Britain and Ireland. That status is distinct from its native range. The account places its native home in the regions named above, not in Britain or Ireland.

Kew calls the plant a succulent shrub with tubers. It has a scrambling growth habit, not a tree-like form. These terms describe its form, but do not give its size. The supplied species accounts state no mature height or spread. They thus give no size for a full-grown plant. The shrub label should not stand in for those missing facts. Nor does its scrambling habit tell us how tall or wide it will grow.

The plant has several common names in the supplied accounts. The RHS uses the name deer horn cactus. LLIFLE gives two English names: night blooming cereus and sweet potato cactus. It also lists the Spanish names Saramatraca and Reina de la Noche. These are names, not proof of bloom dates or edible uses. The name night blooming cereus does not establish when it blooms. The name sweet potato cactus does not establish an edible use.

The sources also record other scientific names for this plant. The RHS gives Cereus greggii as an older scientific name. LLIFLE lists Cereus pottsii as a synonym, or another scientific name. These names form part of the plant's naming record. They are distinct from the English and Spanish common names. The RHS and LLIFLE each supply a scientific name linked to the plant. Their entries do not replace the gaps in the species accounts.

The supplied species pages give no detailed guidance on care or safety. They do not state frost limits or watering needs. They also give no established flower or fruit traits. Its dry native home does not supply those missing care details. The accounts leave those points open rather than set firm rules. The lack of safety guidance does not establish safety. Nor do the common names establish that any part is edible.