The white torch cactus is a slow-growing multi-stemmed columnar cactus. It starts with a singular stem but later in life produces additional branches that grow nearly parallel to the original stem from  the base of the plant. The plant grows up to 6 feet tall with individual stems and branches growing 2 wide in diameter and groups of stems growing in clumps up to 2 feet  wide (1,2,3,4). The stems are ridged,  light-to-dark green in color and usually contain 12-18 ribs per stem. . Areoles are located along the length of the stem in rows running up and down the branches.  Each areole has about 10-18 golden yellow spines, two which are approximately 2.5 inches long and the rest growing to 1.5 inches long (1,2,4,6). Large flowers appear at night in the springtime and last only about 10 hours (3). Fruits are round oblong berries about 2.5 inches in length that grow along the side of the stems,  (1,2,3,4,6).