Question
I have a very large Cereus Peruvianus growing on my front lawn. It is about fifty five years old ( I know this from when it was purchased as a very small plant ). It has gone through some rough times. However recently it appears to be dying off.  Large portions of it have turned grey and woody. I have noticed some newer stalks likewise dying off. Do you have any idea of what's going on, and whether it can be saved?

Answer
Ken,

I have seem quite a few examples of what your talking about, so I will assume you live in either southern California or Arizona. Anyway, we got hit with a double whammy this year: one of the coldest winters on record and one of the hottest & driest on record. Some plants, even some big ones, could not survive. Many of my cacti & succulents did not make it.

Chances are, the main trunk of the plant is damaged. Probably from cold temps, but it usually takes months to show simply because cacti are designed to store water so it can take a while to show damage. If that is the case, the only way to save your plant is to take cuttings. If your plant is not too large or forgone, please let me know if you would like to know how to take cuttings.

Sincerely,

Greg