[2] A candelabriform cactus typically 5 to 7 m (16 to 23 ft) tall, it is easy to propagate from cuttings, so local people use it to build live fences.

The shoots are mostly cylindrical, measuring 8 to 20 centimeters in diameter, and feature ten to twelve ribs adorned with prominent dark reddish-brown areoles.

[4] This species is found growing in the dry deciduous forests and valleys of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, typically at elevations around 100 meters.

[5] Originally described as Lemaireocereus martinezii in 1930 by Jesús González Ortega, the species was reclassified into the Stenocereus genus by Franz Buxbaum in 1961.

The specific epithet "martinezii" is in honor of Mexican botanist Maximiliano Martinez (1888–1964), who was a key figure in establishing the Botanical Society of Mexico.