Totem Pole Cactus

Photo by Lisa White

The totem pole cactus looks just like its name, with distinct knobs that look as if they were carved from a pole.  Another columnar cactus, the totem pole is spine-less, but in a good way.  Its smooth surface makes it one of the few cacti that you can touch without pain.  The slow-growing totem pole cactus grows wild in Baja and Southern Mexico, and adapts well to the Arizona climate with just a little additional water.  What gnarly beauty.