The Pachy (from what I can tell from pics) appears to have more indented and defined ridges perhaps?

Here is my baby saguaro...

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and the link, below, is purported to be P. pringlei...

T

Here is a link that might be useful: P. pringlei

Many thanks Tom for the info. However, My Saguaro doesn't look like yours and my Pachycereus doesn't look like that one. Hmm ? I'll put a photo of 3 cacti with similar form up this weekend and maybe you, or another, could take a shot at it.
Patrick

Finally got a couple pics. So which do you think these are?

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I still don't know (I'm getting opinions) but that Bursera in the background, oh boy!

Will no one take a shot at idenifying?

I'd bet that it probably isn't a Saguaro, which in any case is unlikely to do well in Houston, they are hard enough to keep alive even in coastal southern California, and you get way more rain than we do. Also, a Saguaro will be incredibly slow to gain height when young. Sorry I can't help otherwise, cacti aren't really my thing, except for Golden barrel cactus or the odd Opuntia.

As you can tell from the photos, Saguaros are rarely green, particularly as seedlings, yet Pachycereus are. That is probably the simplest way to tell them apart. I have several of each and the Saguaro does grow a bit slow, and it also is a lot fatter as a young plant, though the Pachycereus fattens up as it ages.

Here are some Carnegeia and Pachycereus seedling photos to maybe help distinguish the two:

Carnegeia side new growth:
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Pachycereus pringlei side new growth
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Carnegeia top new growth
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Pachycereus top new growth
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Carnegeia smaller seedling
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Carnegeia larger seedling
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Pachycereus side seedling
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Carnegeia seedling top quiet
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Pachycereus seedling top quiet (sorry, not quite same view)
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What I have problems with actually is telling them apart when they are larger... here is Saquaro somewhat large in southern California

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And here is Pachycereus pringlei
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and to make things even more confusing, other cacti look like these, too eg Echinopsis terscheckii
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Well... Bahia yer probably right about growing Saguaro in Houston. lzrddr - heck that didn't help. (Just kiddin) Great pics. As I grow about 175 - 225 species of plants I know that the same species grown on one side of my house can look quite different from the same thing grown on the other side of the house. I figure that they may both be Pachycereus. One must have been mislabled when I bought it. I had one that was likely a Saguaro. I threw it out. It grew very slowly, looked like hell and I needed the room. Rats. Many thanks. Please advise if anyone can provide differentiating characteristics.

So in young cacti, Pachycereus pringlei have fuzzy white lines that extend downward, along the plants ridges, from the areoles, at least near the top of every plant. Saguaros never do. Also, Pachycereus have about 12-13 primary spines (only 2-3 which extend outward away from the plant), while Saguaros have 16-20 primary spines (with about 8 of those extending outward). Those two characteristics seem pretty consistent.

A neighbor has a 20' saguaro cactus with five arms and is looking to get rid of it.
The cactus is located in Central California near the coast, is less than 33 years of age
and in excellent condition with no holes.

I'm not exactly sure what it is, and it could be a pachycereus pringlei.

Let me know if you are interested or know of someone who is.

Wow, lzrddr, well done!