If you ’re looking for a pretty flowering houseplant to contribute to your ingathering , a cactus may not be the first thing that comes to nous .
But ! Many of these spiny plants actually bloom astonishingly lavishly . Say cheerio to bastard paper flowers and super glue : the actual thing look right smart well , and it ’s not too difficult to get your cactus to produce flowers either .
Related:9 of My Favorite Flowering Succulents That Are So Easy to Grow
Below , allow ’s have a look at 9 of my preferred cacti with flowers , each of which rivals orchid or lily with ease . Which one ’s your favorite ?
revealing : If you patronise from my article or make a purchase through one of my links , I may get mission on some of the products I advocate .
good spot to buy cacti :
Schlumbergera sp. (holiday cactus)
If you ’re into houseplants , you probably saw this one coming . The vacation cacti of the genus Schlumbergera are immensely popular for indoor growing , mostly due to their prominent blossom . ( you’re able to even get yourholiday cactus to bloom more than once a year ! )
study more:10 Cheery Holiday Houseplants to Grow If You ’re Bored With Poinsettias
Selective culture of this efflorescence cactus has led to the creation of a unfeigned rainbow of different bloom wraith : red , livid , yellow , orange , and even red-hot pinko .
Schlumbergera currently contains six species ( or nine , look on who you ask ) . Three of them inevitably pop up in stores around dissimilar holiday :
vacation cacti by nature maturate in forested or hobo camp habitats , so they wish a fiddling more water than “ steady ” cacti .
Opuntia sp. (prickly pear)
The genus Opuntia , also know as prickly pear or Opuntia lindheimeri , is one of those ubiquitous cacti that we ’re all familiar with .
There are dozens of different Opuntia metal money , although the two most widely sleep with members of the genus are Opuntia genus Ficus - indica ( the Indian fig Opuntia , which produces eatable fruits referred to as cactus pear or fig ) and Opuntia microdasys ( the small and fuzzy - depend bunny ears cactus ) .
In the wilderness , these cacti can be found throughout almost all of the American continent . They naturally pour down up as far to the south as southern Argentina and as far north as Canada . Most of them bloom attractively , producing large yellow , orangish , or even pinkish flowers .
Really any species of Opuntia figure out if you like pretty bloom , but my personal favorite has take to be Opuntia gosseliana . This one does n’t just bloom wonderfully , but its leaf segment also take on a nice purplish hue ( rather than the veritable green ) when expose to mass of sun .
If you do n’t hold up in the tropics but would care to keep your cactus outdoors year - round , you may be concerned in the closely bear on Cylindopuntia imbricata .
Also known as the cholla cactus , this species can survive temperatures as low as -5 ° F as long as you keep its substrate ironical . Do n’t touch on it though , as its spines are illustrious for their power to lodge themselves in your skin !
Echinopsis sp. (hedgehog cactus)
Why hello , Echinopsis ! This genus of orb and piston chamber cactus is a honest victor when it comes to cactus flowers . Its members are naturally found in South America , but many have become popular worldwide for indoor and balcony develop .
I ’d be hard - pressed to select a favorite Echinopsis , but I have to say that one of the most striking bloomers is definitely Echinopsis oxygona , the hedgehog cactus . Another fantastic option for a cactus with flowers is Echinopsis subdenudata , also quite fitly known as the Easter lily cactus .
As long as they get enough water ( they tend to require more than you suppose ! ) and sunshine , these cacti will regale you with their bloom of youth over summertime .
First , a haired and rather unsightly jut pops out of the plant , becoming longer and longer over the course of several day . Once you spot a narrowing bud at the end , take up yield attending , because the actual efflorescence usually open up at night and often withers within 24 hr .
If you do n’t need to miss the spectacle , it may be a good idea to take a peek at your Echinopsis every hour or so after sundown . You could even charge an previous phone at the works to record a timelapse telecasting , like the ones shownhere . astonishing !
Rebutia perplexa
Whereas Echinopsis cacti impressment with their single monumental efflorescence , Rebutia perplexa prefers not to put all of its eggs in one basket .
You ca n’t miss this clustering orb cactus in your collection if you ’re looking for a squeamish cactus with flowers ! It ’s easy to care for , and in spring , produces a ten thousand of gorgeous small pink flowers .
Cacti of the genus Rebutia are naturally found in Bolivia and Argentina . Like most cactus species , they wish slew of spark , and they prefer for their ground metier to dry out fully before being water again .
If you wish Rebutia perplexa , do n’t leave to also chink out the other species in this genus .
Those looking for a cactus with white flowers , could consider Rebutia albiflora . If you prefer orangish , maybe Rebutia albopectinata is the cactus for you . Thetaxonomyfor this genus is a bit of a pile , but there are at least a twelve different species to opt from .
Epiphyllum sp.
The genusEpiphyllum , like the Schlumbergera holiday cacti we discussed earlier , is a jungle cactus . These unusual cacti can be recognized by their savorless leaf segments : quite different from the “ standard ” orb- or pillar - determine desert cacti .
Jungle cacti like high-pitched gentle wind humidity levels than their desert cousins , and they also prefer more unconstipated tearing . Oh , and they bloomfantastically . gravely , their plebeian name is “ orchid cactus ” for a ground ! As if that was n’t enough , their flowers also sense godly .
The most well - known mintage in this genus is called Epiphyllum oxypetalum , common name Dutchman ’s pipe cactus . This species hail from forested areas in Mexico and Guatemala , where it blooms between spring and belated summer .
As with many cacti , an Epiphyllum ’s flowers heart-to-heart at night , so be sure to keep an eye on the bud or you might escape the fireworks .
Did you know?Some cacti that used to belong to the genus Epiphyllum have now been moved to the close relate Disocactus . These also include some prodigal bloomers , like the popularfishbone cactus(Disocactus anguliger ) .
Selenicereus sp.
Nope , you ’re not check double . The gigantic , ointment - colored and divine - smelling flush bring forth by the genus Selenicereus are very exchangeable in looks to those of the aforesaid Epiphyllums .
genus Selenicereus are also jungle cacti , usually find growing in an epiphytic or lithophytic way on trees or rock candy ( not unlikeTillandsias ) .
The most pop species of Selenicereus used to belong to to Hylocereus ( I ’m sure you ’ve concluded by now that cactus genus and taxonomy are by no means stable ; species are moved around all the clock time ) .
You may have see them at the supermarket , labeled pitahaya , pitaya , or dragonfruit . Yep , this edible fruit comes from a cactus , one that also create spectacular blooms .
Dragonfruit cacti really do make an ideal addition to any cactus collection . How many other houseplants have the capacity to produce both gorgeous flowersandtasty fruit ? !
The one you ’re most likely to be intimate with is Selenicereus undatus , which produces tasty pink - skinned and blanched - flesh dragonfruits .
All this being said , there ’s more to the genus Selenicereus than just the yield - bearing pitahayas . There are around 30 specie in aggregate !
Selenicereus anthoyanus , for example , looks almost like a atomic number 6 copy of the previously mentioned fishbone cactus . It ’s in reality often sold under the same name , but it can be told aside by its longer stems and fantastic pink - hued flowers .
Did you know?The name ‘ Selenicereus ’ is a address to the Greek moon goddess Selene . Surprise , surprise … this one also blossom at dark .
Astrophytum sp.
OK , let ’s circle back to desert cacti for the oddment of this list . You ’ve probably seen Astrophytums for sale at your local plant life storehouse or garden center , as it ’s one of the most democratic case of cacti out there .
Most of this eyeball - mould genus is naturally found in Mexico , although it has to be mentioned they ’re actually pretty rare in their natural habitat .
The most pop Astrophytum among collector is A. asterias , which is appreciated almost as much for its beautiful color as it is for its lovely bloom . It ’s even available in a variegate translation , which sports hues like yellow , cherry-red , and orangish and can go for slightly exorbitant prices . Another species in the genus you ’ll often see for sale is Astrophytum myriostigma .
These cacti bloom in summer , commonly producing a undivided bloom right on top of their crown . The flowers are commonly cream or yellow in color , but there are also cultivar that flower more extravagantly and in pinkish .
Remember that it might be a while before your Astrophytum feels quick to bloom for the first time , as this is a rather slow grower that requires a bit of patience on your end .
Mammillaria sp.
More experienced cactus enthusiasts were belike wondering when I was at long last going to discuss Mammillaria . Well , here it is in all its flower aura !
This genus is the largest in the cactus family Cactaceae , containing over 200 species , so it ’s no surprise there are some lavish bloomer among them . The midget flowers tend to grow in a ring around the top part of the cactus , like a colorful piddling flower crownwork .
Mammillaria cacti are vastly popular . You ’ll find them in any garden center or plant life store that run cacti , regrettably commonly with fake pale yellow flowers glued on . They ’re orb - shape to cylindrical and can form large clusters .
Most specie are fairly soft to worry for and are consider father - proof , so no worries if you do n’t have much experience with cacti yet .
I ’d postulate to write an entire book to discuss all Mammillaria species , but here are some of my favorite blooper :
Gymnocalycium sp.
Some of the species in the genus Gymnocalycium are among the most beautiful in the entire cactus sept . The most pop is Gymnocalycium mihanovichii , which can be bright red , orangish , or yellow in colour .
I can vouch you ’ve seen this one before : it ’s the colored orb on top of a graftedmoon cactus !
However , this genus has much more to offer than just one colourful gang - pleaser . There are about 70 coinage in total , the majority of which are easy enough to care for and bloom wonderfully . The one in the pic above , for example , is Gymnocalycium baldianum .
Other democratic species admit :
How do I get my cactus to bloom?
If you ’ve had a few cacti on your windowsill for year and are now left wondering why you ’ve never spot any bloom , do n’t worry . It ’s probably not your fault !
Cacti grown indoors in a small planter just do n’t bloom quite as often or abundantly as their outside counterparts do . If light is miss or the lachrymation balance is off , they may not have the energy to produce any flowers at all .
Does this mean you may go onward and forget about cactus flowers unless your climate is right for acquire these desert habitant outdoors ?
Nope ! There are utterly some things you could do to increase the probability of your cactus blooming .
First off , desert cacti ( the plump ones ) like gritty potting land . They ca n’t stand excess wet and are sore to rot , but they do like a sip of pee once their soil has gone altogether wry . Do verify to use a plantation owner with a drainage hole so as to allow excess water to enfeeble freely .
The other Florida key to grow cacti successfully is light . Unless you ’ve got a jungle cactus on your workforce , which can make do with collateral light , yours will appreciate receiving as much sun as possible . Sometimes even a bright , south - front window is n’t enough to give them what they need and keep them from stretch !
The resolution to the light problem is placing your cactus outdoors in summer . essentially , around May , or whenever temperatures are consistently above 50 ° F at Nox , recover your plant a sunny but sheltered topographic point in your garden or on your balcony / deck . Once night temps dismiss below 50 ° F again in fall , you may lend it back indoors .
I ’ve experimented with sending my cacti on “ outdoor summertime camp ” quite a scrap and I ’ve found that it ’s definitely the phone number one affair you could do to promote efflorescence . The first wave of blooms unremarkably occurs in the second growing class , but some cacti are show - offs and will start in the first place !
Just think back that a cactus grown outdoors will need more water than indoors , especially during raging and dry summers .
