Cacti can do a lot more than just be prickly. Plantura introduces you to the different types of cacti so that you can make the best choice.
The mostly prickly succulents are perfectly adapted to their surroundings. The cactus family (Cactaceae) has penetrated into areas in which no other plant could thrive, proving that life can assert itself even under the most adverse conditions. At least as extraordinary as their habitats, however, is the external appearance of these botanical wonders. From miniature figures to meter-high columnar cacti: - Cacti fascinate with their almost extraterrestrial uniqueness, of which there are up to 1,800 species in abundance. We will take you on a little excursion into the world of cacti and show you a selection of the most beautiful species.
Species of cacti: diversity and characteristics
As with every family there is also with the cactus plants (Cactaceae) a few unmistakable similarities. All but one species are native to the Americas. Here the perennial survivors have conquered a niche in the most varied of habitats. From steppes to rainforests - the mostly succulent plants can be found everywhere. Only the seasonal availability of water is common to every environment. Because here the cacti have a clear advantage due to the ability to store water in their succulent trunk and leaves. In addition, all types of cacti have so-called areoles (greatly reduced short shoots). In seedlings, the aerols always carry felt and thorns that are formed from transformed leaves. Depending on the species, these are either kept or discarded in the adult state. The leaves, if any, also have their origin here. Apart from that, the bizarre plants couldn't be more different:
- Height: From 1 cm to 20 m
- Growth habit: trees; flat; Geophytes; spherical; Bushes
- Growth: upright; aspiring; creeping; less often hanging
- Growth rate: from 1 m per year to hardly any growth over years
- Roots: succulent beets, fibrous or succulent tubers
- Age: From 15 years to 200 years
- Flower diameter: From 5 mm to 30 cm
The age usually depends on the length of time until the first bloom. Early bloomers have a shorter lifespan than late bloomers. According to the above and other characteristics, cacti are divided into four subfamilies:
Deciduous cacti (Pereskioideae)
- One genus: Pereskia with 16 kinds
- Deciduous, thorny, arboreal or shrubby plants that climb frequently
- Slightly fleshy shoots
- Areole usually with felt and thorns
- Pereskia grandifolia, Pereskia bleo
Maihuenioideae
- One genus: Maihuenia with 2 kinds
- Low-growing, sprouting plants form cushions up to more than 1 m in circumference
- Succulent round trunk with greatly reduced, permanent, small leaves
- Areole with felt and thorns
- Large, pretty flowers 4 to 6 cm in diameter
- Maihuenia poeppigii, Maihuenia patagonica
Prickly pear cacti (Opuntioideae)
- 15 genera with about 300 species
- Growth habit: prostrate; turf-shaped; Forming clusters to tree-shaped
- With thorns
- Mostly with flattened, disc-shaped shoots
- Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Cylindropuntia bigelovii, Opuntia rufida
Real cacti (Cactoideae)
- 100 genera with over 1,500 species (85% of all cactus species)
- Growth height from a few cm to 20 m
- Perennial, succulent plants
- Leaves almost always reduced to thorns
- Flower diameter 0.2 to 30 cm
- Bischofsmütze (Astrophytum myriostigma), Mother-in-law armchair (Echinocactus grusonii), Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus), Greisenhaupt (Cephalocereus senilis), Warthog (Mammillaria spinosissima), Cleistocactus winteri, Schlumbergera truncata, Rat tail cactus (Disocactus flagelliformis), Aztec valdezii, Gymnocalycium variegata, Astrophytum asteriaa, Pachycereus pringlei
Buying cacti: tips and where to buy
Cacti come in the most extraordinary shapes - from inconspicuous, small spiky balls to shapes that do not seem to come from our world. With 100 to 130 genera and 1500 to 1800 species to choose from, it can be difficult to find the ideal cactus for your home. But once the selection process has been completed, you will face another obstacle depending on the exclusivity of the cactus taste. Where do I get my prickly dream child from? Of course, you can also find a pretty one at first glance in hardware stores, garden centers and the like Fall in love with a specimen, but if you are looking for a certain, especially a rare species, you will usually not find it there find it. But in the age of networking and online mail order, nothing seems impossible. You can buy plants and especially seeds of all kinds of cacti on the Internet. Whether Amazon, E-Bay or the online shop of a cactus grower - cacti awaken a passion in many people, which is also reflected in a large number of private individuals who breed their offspring via websites to offer. The most extraordinary species can be found especially in these. Because while some collect stamps, others have succumbed to the spell of cacti.
You will find a particularly large selection of the most diverse types of cacti, for example, at:
- Uhlig cacti: Propagation of over 5000 different species of cacti and other succulents for over 55 years (contact here)
- Cacti Haage: Oldest cactus cultivation in the world with an extremely large selection (contact here)
When buying a cactus, you should also pay attention to a special cactus soil. You can read about what you need to consider here.
Although cacti come from desert regions, there are some representatives that can also spend the whole year in the garden with us. We provide you hardy cactus species that can cope well with snow and cold.
