Polaskia chichipe is a columnar cactus from Mexico that grows as a cluster of upright, ribbed stems dotted with small white areoles, branching with age into a candelabra form. Even young plants have a strong sculptural presence, and in habitat it eventually reaches the size of a small tree.

Indoors, give it your sunniest window, or summer it outside in full sun. Water only when the soil has dried completely, and barely at all in winter. Use a gritty cactus mix in a pot with a drainage hole, and bring it in ahead of any frost.