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15 cactus plants to grow
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Tuesday, 25 January 2022 at 9:42 am
Love cacti? We've picked our favourite cactus plants to grow.
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Cactus plants, or cacti, are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. They come in a staggering variety of shapes, sizes and textures but many also flower. Slow growing, cacti are perfect for potting up and leaving, and they need very little watering – they make the perfect, low-maintenance house plant.
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Cactus plants are perfectly adapted to live in the intense heat and harsh environment of the desert, so they're more than capable of surviving the warm and dry conditions of a centrally heated home. They do best in a light, airy spot that's warm but not too hot – around 18°C is ideal. Some can be moved outside in summer for a bit of extra light.
To encourage flowers to form you'll need to mimic a desert drought, followed by rains. Most cacti will flower in summer if you stop watering in autumn and through winter, and then start watering again from spring onwards.
More on growing cacti:
- How to grow cacti from seed
- Cacti house plant display
- Cacti and succulent terrarium
- How to grow prickly pear cacti
Browse our list of beautiful cacti to grow, below.
Gymnocalycium oehnanthemum x horstii
Cactus plants to grow - Gymnocalycium oehnanthemum x horstii
This gymnocalycium is a squat, fleshy plant that has long, distinctive, almost curling spines. It develops large pink flowers in summer.
Mammillaria spinosissima
Cactus plants to grow - Mamillaria spinosissima
Mammillaria spinosissima is a pincushion cactus, up to 30cm tall, that grows in clusters or alone. Red fruit may follow the small pink flowers.
Chamaelobivia 'Lincoln Gem'
Cactus plants to grow - Chamaelobivia 'Lincoln Gem'
A fast-growing, freely flowering cactus that produces compact clumps of long, columnar plants.
Sulcorebutia albissima
Cactus plants to grow - Sulcorebutia albissima
A mass of tightly crisscrossing spines on a small, compact plant. It bursts into an abundance of vivid pink flowers in summer.
Mammillaria geminispina nobilis f. cristata
Cactus plants to grow - Mammillaria geminispina nobilis f. cristata
A popular, fast-growing, crested cactus type, with a distinctive undulating shape. It rarely flowers.
Notocactus magnificus
Cactus plants to grow - Notocactus magnificus
Wool and spines cover the ribs of the distinctive globes of this cactus. Pop it outside in summer to give it a better chance of developing sulphur yellow flowers.
Astrophytum myriostigma
Cactus plants to grow - Astrophytum myriostigma
Astrophytum myriostigma is a star-shaped cactus with attractive patterns and markings and short, spiky spines. It flowers briefly in summer.
Astrophytum ornatum
Cactus plants to grow - Astrophytum ornatum
Astrophytum ornatum is a fast-growing cactus with yellow flowers. White flakes on its ribbed stem protect it from intense sunlight and will fade in shadier conditions.
Mammillaria laui dasyacantha
Cactus plants to grow - Mammillaria laui dasyacantha
Covered in woolly, white spines, this cactus flowers freely in May with a second, even third, flush later in the year.
Rebutia narvaecensis
Cactus plants to grow - Rebutia narvaecensis
Large, pink flowers smother the small, circular plants in early spring and seed freely to produce pretty, clumping groups.
Rebutia heliosa
Cactus plants to grow - Rebutia heliosa
Rebutia heliosa is a small, globular cactus that readily produces offsets. In time it will form a small mound and bear hot orange-red flowers.
Echinocactus grusonii
Cactus plants to grow - Echinocactus grusonii
This large cactus is aptly named the golden barrel cactus, and can eventually reach a metre across. A brilliant cactus for growing as a feature plant in a pot.
Mammillaria hahniana
Cactus plants to grow - Mammillaria hahniana
Known as the old lady cactus, Mammillaria hahniana forms globe-shaped stems covered in fine white spines and white down, from which a circle of pretty pink flowers appears in spring.
Gymnocalycium neuhuberi
Cactus plants to grow - Gymnocalycium neuhuberi
Chin cactus, Gymnocalycium neuhuberi, is a rounded, blue-green cactus. It has slightly curved spines that are a rich amber colour when young, before fading to cream. It produces scented, fuchsia-coloured flowers in the summer months.
Ferocactus pilosus
Cactus plants to grow - Ferocactus pilosus
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Ferocactus pilosus is a striking barrel cactus with thick red spines. Initially globe-shaped, plants eventually grow tall. Flowers are yellow or red but rarely appear on cultivated plants.
Tips for cactus care
- Grow in cactus or free-draining compost
- Grow them in unglazed terracotta pots and containers with plenty of drainage holes
- Let the compost dry out between watering
- Remove dust using a soft paintbrush
- Repot every three to four years
- Move outdoors in summer to a warm, sunny spot
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