The Old Man of Mexico is a popular columnar cactus from central Mexico with abundant white hair. It may reach 16-50 feet tall, but is relatively slow growing and usually only a small fraction that size in cultivation. 20-30 ribs, 1-5 (often 3) stout central spines, 20-30 hairlike radial spines. The flowers are large, yellowish pink, and nocturnal. The seed is black and relatively large.

Like other members of the genus, this plant develops a pseudocephalium at the top, first on one side of the stem and later all sides, with dense white hairs that are twice the length of the usual ones. The flowers and fruit are borne from this area. Branching occurs at the base, when present. The hair tends to be lost from older parts of the stem as the plant ages, revealing the green stem underneath.

This cactus is relatively fast to get started from seed, but slow growing in cultivation. Provide excellent drainage and strong light, which will favor the development of thicker, more radiant hair.

This is the type species of a relatively small genus as it currently stands (the CoL currently recognizes 3 species). Cephalocereus has a confusing history of association with other genera, including Neobuxbaumia, Pachycereus, Pilosocereus (formerly Pilocereus), and others. At one point (in 1986) it consisted of a single species (senilis). The genus includes relatively tall columnar cacti with white to pale yellow, pink, or yellowish pink flowers borne on a pseudocephalium, and it occurs in central and southern Mexico.

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