
Forest cacti like bright light, but not direct sunlight, so place them somewhere with a bit of coverage. While cacti can get by on a mere three hours of sunlight exposure a day, if you live in a low-light area or have a cool climate, it’s recommended you get them some supplementary lighting if you ever want to see blooms and keep them generally healthy.ĭuring the summer, consider moving your cacti outside. Sunlightĭesert cacti and forest cacti both originate from hot areas, so they appreciate bright sunlight. However, you should still take a few key environmental components into account. The most famous forest cactus is the Christmas cactus, which blooms with bright, brilliant flowers around the holidays.Ĭacti are extremely easy to care for. Because of this, they are used to completely different environmental conditions than desert cacti, instead favoring areas with lots of humidity and moisture. They grow in wooded forests that range from temperate to tropical, and tend to be climbing plants, growing on trees as epiphytes. If desert cacti are traditional, forest cacti are their offbeat, funky cousins. In other words, don’t hold your breath, but if you are lucky enough to see your plant bloom, enjoy every second of it. Their flowers tend to bloom after the plant has matured to three or four years, but some plants may take longer… and some may never bloom. Keep that in mind while caring for them they can survive in a desert, of course they can survive on your New York apartment’s window ledge. They typically come from the hottest, driest climates across the Americas. These cacti are super easy to grow, being one of the most resilient houseplants. These cactus plants are largely regarded as the more traditional cacti, growing in the familiar formations we all know and love from Westerns. Both groups require little maintenance, having the same ability to store water for long periods of time, and are capable of thriving indoors. However, there are some key differences to note. There are thousands of cacti species out there, but don’t worry, only some of those make good house plants, and the ones that do can be divided into two easy-to-understand groups: desert cacti and forest cacti. Caring for and being around house plants can improve your mood, helping individuals with mental health problems like depression and anxiety get through even the gloomiest winter months. They also release moisture vapor into the air, helping individuals with respiratory problems breathe easier. Not only do cacti help you breathe easier, and better air, they also have proven positive mental health benefits. In particular, cacti are adept at filtering out harmful bacteria.

Cactus Health BenefitsĪlthough when you think of cactus plants and health you may think of them hurting yours through their pointy spines, in reality, having cactus plants around provides more health benefits than risks.Ĭactus plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen at night, improving your sleep quality by providing supplemental oxygen. In the process, they also can remove up to 84 air toxins, improving air quality. Blooms will only occur if your plant is completely healthy and flourishing, which is a state that is easy to reach for these resilient and durable plants.Ĭactus plants have adapted to survive, one of their quirks being that the process of transpiration occurs overnight to prevent excess water loss. They add to cacti’s otherworldly look and the areoles that produce them also produce flowers. Cactus blooms are absolutely gorgeous, producing solitary, brightly-colored, show-stopping flowers. When growing a cactus, you should avoid touching them at all cost, but keep in mind that they aren’t all bad. They have succulent stems and branches and grow scales or spines instead of leaves. Their spines are what cacti are most well-known for, infamous in cartoons, movies, and the stories of unlucky friends who accidentally stumbled into them. What are Cacti?Ĭacti are plants within the Cactaceae family.

No need to worry about keeping your home humid or at a certain temperature to sustain them, and if you forget to water them, no sweat, these plants store water like camels. If your plant flourishes-which is likely-it may even reward you with some strikingly vibrant blooms. These bizarre beauties grow in crazy patterns, in bright colors, with their trademark adornment of needles. Not only are they a great plant to have because of their otherworldly look, they also are extremely easy to care for, somehow thriving in neglect. There are truly no house plants that look even remotely like cacti. Organic Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix, Fast Draining Pre-Mixed Coarse Blend (4 Quarts).
