There are various types of Prickly Pear cacti that can suit many landscaping needs. The Wolf's Cholla is found almost entirely in the Colorado Desert portion of the Sonoran Desert, in places such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Our goal at Succulents and Sunshine is to help you keep succulents alive, even in less than ideal circumstances. As mentioned above, caring for these small, cute plants is extremely easy, especially if you already have some succulents or cacti in your garden. Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) Also known as the crab cactus, the Thanksgiving cactus blooms around the time of the holiday. These are among the classic cactus shapes, and they have played a key role in the cuisine of many native North American groups, particularly in Mexico, where Prickly pears of many species are consumed as a vegetable. The clump-forming cactus stems can grow up to 10 20 ft. (3 6 m) tall and up to 6 (15 cm) in diameter. Fairy Castle cactus blooms are greenish-white flowers. This species is known for producing few, if any, spines among many individuals. This stunning species is known for its extremely limited range within desert shrublands of Big Bend National Park, on the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. Originally from Madagascar, a Button Cactus is a great addition to any rock garden or an indoor planter. It is seen in places like Oklahoma and in the colder parts of New Mexico. It is known from southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. This tall upright desert plant has vertical spiky ribs, giving the cactus columns a ribbed appearance. We know how much joy succulents bring, so we want to help make your succulent growing experience the best it can be! Exploring the LA River by road and kayak, with notes on my 14 years living in the city. Cactus Identification: A Prickly Pear cactus is easy to identify due to its broad, flat pads covered in tufts of long white spines. White flowers appear on the giant cactus in late spring to early summer. This golf-ball sized cactus is known only from Northern Mexico and the Big Bend region of Texas. All types of cactus flower, and you can tell the species depending on when it blooms. This commom cactus of the desert southwest and desert Mexico produces large clusters of stems, with large spines. It features a stunning pinkish-magenta bloom and long spines. Cactus identification: The Crown Cactus is a small globe-like cactus with white or tan-colored spiny tufts covering its bumpy surface. Contrasting with other plants, all cactus species take in carbon dioxide at night when temperatures are cooler. This rare and threatened species from the border between Texas and Mexico is small and spherical, growing in areas where few other plants grow. The triangular tubercles (stems) point outward around the perimeter of the cactus, and it has a flat, woolly top. Compared to other cacti, the Ball Cactus can withstand much lower temperatures. What represents the diversity of the American Southwest better than the cacti? This pint-sized mini-cactus of New Mexico and northern Mexico yields beautiful lavender-magenta blooms with striking yellow centers. It features large yellow flowers, and can be found anywhere from Mexico to Minnesota. This is an elongated cactus that is native to Mexico, but may have native populations in southern Texas. It features brilliant yellow flowers. The large, showy starfish-shaped flowers are orange, deep red, or reddish-purple and grow up to 6 (15 cm) across and appear on the clumping succulent plant in late summer and the fall. It's large pinkish flowers are pollinated only by a single creature; the Senita Moth. You should water them well but allow all the excess water to drain out. It has a globe or cylindrical shape, and grows in cooler climates than other barrel cacti. Some of these, such as the Astrophytum asterias Super Kabuto is a delightful ornamental cactus with patterns of interesting white dots covering the body. Types of String of Buttons Here are the three popular varieties of Crassula perforata: Crassula perforata ssp. It grows in a wide variety of soils, and its purplish-magenta flowers bloom in late summer. It is native to the state of Florida. It features white and green flowers. Originating in Paraguay and Argentina, the Moon cactus is an unusual type of cactus with a colorful top that can be red, pink, orange or yellow. Description. Rather than spines, it has tufts of "wool" sprouting from regularly spaced aureole. When in bloom, bright pink flowers emerge from the fuzzy top. Sow your seeds Button Cactus seeds in a well-draining soil. It is threatened due to habitat loss, agriculture and coastal development. Beavertail cactus (name: Opuntia basilaris) is a type of prickly pear cactus. It features a bright magenta bloom and a warm yellow center. This plant, which can forms hundreds of pads, was a key part of the diet of many pre-Columbian southwestern tribes. Its brilliant yellow flowers form a beautiful contrast to those unusual cactus hues. The ball-shaped cactus can grow up to 20 (50 cm) in diameter and 10 (25 cm) tall. Just how easy is it to care for indoor cactus breeds? In fact, for that reason, these plants are better grown outdoors where they get strong light than indoors. It exists only within the vicinity of Lake Mead. These species are united by their typical globe shapes and tubercles or 'nipples' throughout. Water whenever the soil has dried out completely. [citation needed] The species are extremely slow growing, sometimes taking up to thirty years to reach flowering age (at the size of about a golf ball, excluding the root) in the wild. With its distinctive woolly look and brilliant yellow flowers, it is a truly beautiful and unique cactus. This rugged species features wooly fruits, which give it its common names. Also called the cane cholla or spiny cholla, this cactus species is characterized by deep purple-magenta flowers blooming in summer. This orchid-type cactus is also called the Dutchmans Pipe cactus. After flowering, red edible fruits appear that have a sweet fleshy texture. This small cactus of Mexico and the plains of the Rio Grande in Texas is known to thrive in thornscrub habitat. Therefore, you need to plant them in soil that allows water to pass through it. Mammillaria boolii is a small round cactus covered in fine hair-like spines. The Chin cactus originates in South America and is a small round type of indoor cactus. It features bright pink flowers. Cacti are excellent landscaping solutions for many types of gardens that get a lot of sun and heat during the summer. The Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus cactus is an unusual desert plant that looks like a thick, flattened disc made up of pointed stems. The spines of the Ball cactus turn yellow-brown with age. Notes on my travels to Joshua Tree National Park and the Western Mojave of Southern California. It is endangered, and threatened by poachers. Cactus identification: The Lady Finger cactus has identifiable cylindrical stems with tufts of woolly areoles, short yellowish spikes in radial patterns, and pale-yellow flowers. If you have cold winters and you want a prickly pear to decorate your garden, then try the Santa Rita prickly pear cactus. The Arizona Barrel cactus is a desert cactus variety that is native to the Sonoran Desert. Is your plant collection missing a small, cute cactus? This small, oblong or globe-shaped cactus is widely distributed across North America. Its flowers are most often yellowish-green. Email us at Epithelantha micromeris Button Cactus can be propagated from offsets or seeds. This flowering cactus species can produce white, pink, yellow, and red flowers. It features yellow or maroon-colored flowers, and a yellow-colored fruit. This tiny cactus of limited range in New Mexico and Texas grows in limestone cracks and rocky soil. A prickly pear of the chapparal regions of southern California and Baja, this species can grow to six feet in height, and features yellowish-orangish flowers. Miruna is an experienced content writer with a passion for gardening. The Feather cactus looks like a fluffy rounded ball of white cotton wool. Like all cactus plants, the Lady Finger cactus produces flowers on the stems upper parts. This species grows in mounds or clumps. This shrub-like cholla of the oak-juniper-mesquite woodlands of eastern New Mexico and west Texas. This cactus, which often forms multiple clumping stems, features tiny flowers. Taxa manually added by project curators and taxa represented by research-grade observations added to the project are listed on project lists. This small, globe-shaped barrel cactus grows as a single unit. The Queen of the Night cactus has identifiable flattened long trailing stems with wavy margins. The Arizona Barrel is a large round spiky type of cactus that can grow to an impressive 6 ft. (1.3 m) in height and measure 2 ft. (60 cm) in diameter. Teddy-bear Cholla are also a beautiful component of the deserts of Arizona, California, Nevada and northwestern Mexico and form thick desert forests. The unique shape of the Fairy castle cactus makes it a popular ornamental houseplant. The bumpy surface of the cactus is covered in tufts of flexible light brown or white spines. The Fairy Castle Cactus is a tall, columnar cactus with long dark green angular spiny stems. The San Pedro cactus is a fast-growing columnar pale green cactus with vertical ridges along its length dotted with white areoles. A beacon of light on the darker roads of travel. Planting the tall columnar Old Man cactus creates an interesting feature in any garden. It features cool-toned yellow flowers. How to make sure you dont overwater your plant? For example, planting on the top of a rock garden or on a south-facing slope will ensure that the cactus doesnt get waterlogged. This cactus, sometimes called Brady's Pincushion Cactus, is one of the rarest species in the United States. Its golden spines are few and far between, but they are long and sharp. The Fairy Castle cactus is a common indoor cactus with columnar erect stems and new buds that look like castles turrets. Cactus identification: The San Pedro cactus is identified by ribbed columnar stems, tufts of jaggy spikes, and large aromatic white flowers. However, even if they thrive in bright sunlight, Button Cactus plants are versatile and they can easily adapt to partial shade. It grows in an elongated structure; as it ages it begins to resemble the structure of a corn cob, and thus its name. The small round cactus also has the botanical name Rebutia minuscula. The strawberry cactus is a type of blooming cactus plant with beautiful magenta flowers. This can withstand temperatures as low as 15F (-9C) and grow to a height of 1.5 ft. (45 cm). Remember that these plants are Madagascar-native, meaning they are used to dry tropical climate and very little rain. Its blooms are white, green and brownish in color. These cacti are generally small and unbranched. The Bunny Ears is a flowering type of cactus which resembles rabbits ears. The species list for Cacti of Texas. They are remarkable organisms, living for over one-hundred and fifty years and acting as hotels for myriad animals. Being a type of tropical cactus, Queen of the Night cacti enjoy indirect sunlight throughout the day. To find out more, read our Privacy Policy. Spiny Pincushion Cactus Super Red (Mammillaria spinosissima var. Its flowers are magenta and yellow. One of the most important things to remember when caring for indoor cactus plants is to water them properly. If you dont want to kill your Button Cactus plant, dont overwater it! Many are best known by such nonscientific names as blind pear, cow-tongue cactus, night-blooming cereus, Texas rainbow, tree cactus, early bloomer, and devil's head, so-called because its rigid spines are dangerous to the hoofs of horses and cattle. As with most cacti, the Powder Puff cactus needs to get a lot of sun, and the soil should never be more than slightly moist. It is greenish blue sometimes greyish green. The Feather cactus has rounded wooly shape with white flowers. They are susceptible to root rot, so keeping them in well-drained soil is vital. The cactus plant can grow up to 30 ft. (9 m) tall. Home Succulents Other Cactus Varieties. This small cactus of the Rio Grande area of Texas is shaped like a cone, or beehive. Because this type of cactus is a popular houseplant, many cultivars have been developed. The hairy red flowers attract insects. Prev 1 2 Next . The Bishops Cap cactus is a spineless, spherical cactus with three to seven prominent vertical ribs. If you choose to grow your Button Cactus indoors, you dont have to worry that it may be a danger for your kids or pets. It features small yellowish flowers. The Mammillaria family of cacti includes several cultivars: Mammillaria backebergiana ernestii (left) and Mammillaria boolii (right), Mammillaria mystax is a small type of cactus making it an ideal house plant. The slow-growing cactus has long, stiff red spines that poke out the fine white hair. By this time, it may have lost some of its distinctive white wooly coat but will produce yellow, red, or white flowers. It features small yellow blooms. This hedgehog cactus, only recently recognized as a separate species from Echinocereus fasciculatus, features brilliant pinkish-magenta blooms and is known only in Arizona. It grows to about 20 inches high and up to 6 feet wide. Here's a Cactus/Succulent button and banner pack for your virtual classroom. This non-prickly cactus has identifiable pale-yellow blooms that appear in spring. It features pink-colored flowers. Lady Finger cactus is identified by its dense groups of wooly golden cylindrical stems. Even though cactus grows in dry areas, it requires high humidity to germinate. A cactus (plural cacti, cactuses, or less usually, cactus) is a constituent of the plant family Cactaceae, which includes around 127 genera and 1750 recognised species in the order Caryophyllales. It is an aggressive suckering succulent. This thickly-bristled cactus, appearing in arid rocky slopes and desert floors of several Southwestern states, has an unusual creamy-light green color produced by its carpet of spines. It is a tiny cactus, and is admired by collectors, who threaten its existence. It is believed that this is the only species that may have occured naturally in other parts of the world, as it is known from Africa and Sri Lanka. This species, limited in the United States to only a tiny strip of western Texas, is known for its dark-colored spines. The spherical cactus will grow to between 3 and 5 (7.5 12 cm) high and about the same in diameter. This cactus of the Mojave desert grows in clusters, and produces highly variable reddish-violet flowers. You should get yourself a Button Cactus plant. Another striking feature of this large cactus is the large yellow flower that appears on the top when it blooms. If you live in a cold area, it is better to plant Epithelantha Micromeris or the 'Button Cactus' in an indoor environment. It features white-ish or cream-colored flowers and grows upwards of twenty-six feet. Another tall columnar variety of cactus is the Old Man Cactus (name: Cephalocereus senilis) which is covered with a wooly white coat. 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