An Introduction To The Wonderful World Of The Cactus And It's Succulent Relatives

The Cactus Way

Cactus, Cacti, or Succulents. Whatever you like to call them, are hardy, spiny and tough plants. Cactus plants are definitely not some of the more beautiful plants of the floral kingdom. But as the years go on Cacti continue to steal the hearts of many people and are in fact one of the most collected plant species around.  Cactus plants are very different from other plants so therefore need attention that is different to other plants. And if you are planting them or growing them on your windowsill or greenhouse just be patient. Cactus, even when they look like they are flourishing, they might not flower, but if you are patient enough to wait for your Cactus Succulent they will eventually come through.

Succulents are amazing plants... One day they will be rough and prickly Cacti and then the next day they will have beautiful radiant flowers and will look spectacular. The Cactus family must include some of the strangest plants the world has ever seen. The variations of Cacti are so strange and the shapes are almost impossible to contemplate. Some Cacti can way a few tons and others can grow 20 feet high, what variation!

Cactus... Shapes of growth  

Many people imagine the Cactus as being a round and prickly plant. However when the Cacti gradually get older they could develop column, tree or bush-like shapes., or they create entire clumps or cushions. If cared for inside or in a greenhouse, many species may never fully develop beyond a juvenile stage. The following is a list of some of the basic growth shapes:

  • Tree-Like Cacti

  • Bush-Shaped Cacti

  • Spherical Cacti

  • Climbing Cacti

  • Cacti which form clumps and cushions

  • Epiphyte Cacti 

Cactus... unusual growth

Cacti may grow in shapes that don't reflect what they are supposed to look like. This term is known as Monstrous Shapes and is a result of genetic mutation.

Cristates ... May look very different, depending on what specie they are. The shoot tip of a Cactus broadens out in a band and strange, tortuous shapes as a result of stress that occurs during growth. Mutations may occur in growth. The top of the cactus grows into a flower signals the growth for the plant-terminal flowers.