CHOOSING A BEGINNER MODEL

(We swear we didn’t make these names up)

PINCUSHION

The standard-issue $10 desk cactus. Care for it properly and small flowers will bloom around its peak at the start of spring.

GOLDEN BARREL

Squat, round, and ridged with long yellow spines. Buckminster Fuller probably had a photo of one of these pinned to his vision board for the original geodesic dome.

BUNNY EARS

A good choice if you’re buying a plant to test your ability to care for a future pet rabbit.

STAR

Disc-shaped and evocative of the deep sea. Its body is divided into several triangular ribs lined with tiny pods that look like the suction cups on octopus tentacles.

OLD MAN

Spindly, and covered in a white plumage that looks like Gandalf’s beard. A great way to add some distinguished character to a new space.