Counting Cacti
Cacti are desert-dwelling plants that appreciate a dry environment, like that in your climate-controlled home.
Here are five kinds of cacti that you can grow indoors.
Angel Wings (Opunta albispina)
This member of the prickly pear family grows evenly spaced clusters of hair rather than sharp spines, making them safer for little fingers and pets’ tender noses. It grows clusters of pads that get no larger than two feet tall but, over time, can spread to more than five feet. Pale yellow blooms are followed by red, edible fruits on plants that get full sun.
African Milk Tree (Euphorbia trigona)
Also called the cathedral plant, this cactus can get more than eight feet tall but is unlikely to pass four feet indoors. Small green leaves grow in between thorns on the ridged stems. Plant it in well-draining soil and water in twice a month for best results. It likes full sun to partial shade.
Old Lady Cactus (Mammillaria hahniana)
These round balls of fluff get around 10 inches tall and feature white hairs and spines. Healthy cacti will grow a crown of pink blooms. Like other cacti, it prefers well-draining soil and bright, even light. Water it every two weeks to once a month.
Christmas Cactus
We’ve all seen these around the holidays, but they’re easy keepers all year. They have smooth, segmented leaves and bloom tubular flowers in red, pink, orange and white. It comes from the Brazilian rain forest, not the desert, so they need regular waterings that allow the soil to dry in between.
Christmas cacti appreciate diffused light like they would find at home and, if you can expose them to cooler temperatures as winter approaches, you can even get them to rebloom.
Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus)
These little guys get about eight to 10 feet outdoors and are covered in long, rigid spines. Give it as much sun as you can and as little water and you please. Pot them in a loose, sandy potting mix and allow the soil to dry between waterings.