Glossary · Term

San Pedro cactus

Also known as Echinopsis pachanoi

The San Pedro cactus, Echinopsis pachanoi, is a fast-growing columnar cactus native to the Andes of Peru and Ecuador. It contains mescaline and has been used in Andean healing and religious ceremonies for at least 3,000 years; it appears in the art of Chavín de Huántar, where figures are shown holding it. Its use continues in traditional healing in northern Peru.

San Pedro cactus
Image: Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Chavín

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). San Pedro cactus. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/san-pedro-cactus
MLA
“San Pedro cactus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/san-pedro-cactus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “San Pedro cactus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/san-pedro-cactus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘San Pedro cactus’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/san-pedro-cactus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻