Cacti are one of the most popular plants in landscaping and ornamentation due to their unique characteristics. These are plants perfectly adapted to dry climates such as deserts and, despite this, many of their species have very attractive and attractive flowers, which makes them highly appreciated plants both to place in pots and in garden beds. and green areas. If you want to know some of the types of cactus with flowers most
used in ornamentation, as well as some of the care and basic aspects of this type of plants, keep reading and we will tell you about it.What are cacti
Cacti are a type of plant that is characterized by having evolved to adapt to drier climates and lacking moisture. This has made them adopt rounded and cylindrical shapes in order to limit their exposed surface, which helps them better conserve moisture inside. In the same way, another of its most important characteristics is that its leaves have evolved into pointed needles. This shape has a double function. On the one hand, they also serve to limit the moisture they lose through them and, at the same time, they serve as a form of protection against possible predators.
Basic cacti care
When it comes to growing a cactus, we are going to find that it is a particularly easy type of plant to care for . Although each species has its own specific characteristics, most of them have some common elements, which will mean that most of these plants can be cared for in a similar way. Due to their nature, the only thing we will have to do to make the cacti look healthy and strong is to reproduce their normal conditions in the wild.
In this sense, they are plants that support watering well, although not waterlogged soils. Thus, it is recommended that they be watered from time to time , perhaps once a week during the summer and once a month during the winter they will have enough water. However, it is very important to prevent the bottom plate of the pot from storing water, since this could affect its roots and rot them. Naturally, the frequency of watering will depend on the conditions as a whole. For example, if a cactus is indoors with a heater on, it may need more watering even though it is winter. However, as a general rule, these are plants that require little amount of water , and only occasionally.
On the other hand, cacti are plants that need a lot of light , if possible, direct light. For this reason, it is important that they are located in well-lit places, such as gardens or open areas, or near windows if they are indoors. Likewise, they are also plants that do not tolerate cold well , so it is important to protect them from frost during the winter.
Types of flowering cacti: examples
One of the most interesting attractions that cacti present are their flowers , which are usually very colorful and considerably large in size compared to the rest of the plant. The flowers of most cacti occur individually, and they usually have a fairly short life cycle . In fact, some of them usually live for only one day, although this will depend on the type of cactus in question. They usually bloom in spring or summer , which is when the light is most abundant and the temperature is highest, which also ensures the presence of pollinating insects. Some types of cactus with the most aesthetic flowers are the following:
Star cactus or astrophytum
It gets its name from the multi-pointed star-shaped body it has. It presents flowers that usually bloom in groups of two or more units. They have a color that ranges from green to intense yellow . Originally from North America, it tends to grow well in most soils or substrates.
Echinopsis
It is a group of cacti from South America that has more than 150 different species. Their most characteristic aspect is that they usually grow in elongated and cylindrical bodies ending in a rounded shape. These bodies are grouped in sets of three or more turrets, and can reach quite a height . It has one of the most beautiful flowers in the cactus world, blooming in a single trumpet shape directly from one of the cactus bodies. It has very striking petals, ranging from white and yellow to pinkish or orange tones.
Coryphantha
It is a small or medium-sized cactus with a spherical body and abundant elongated spines. It is characterized by its pink or purple flower , which combines the color of its petals with the white and yellow inside the flower. It has more than 40 different species, some of them also have orange or red flowers.
Rebutia
It is one of the most common cacti often found in gardening. It is characterized by having a large spherical body in proportion to the size of its flowers. These bloom in spring or when medium or high temperatures are reached. They usually bloom from a fairly early age and, in proportion to the rest of the plant, they tend to be small and appear in groups. They tend to be monochrome, with warm colors like orange or red.
Aporocactus
This cactus develops with cylindrical and elongated bodies, covered with thorns and that can grow both vertically and adopt a creeping shape when the conditions are favorable. It is characterized by having small and abundant flowers that are born directly from one or more of their bodies. Most of the time they are small flowers with abundant, fleshy and elongated petals. Its most common shades are pinks and fuchsias, although they can also be found in yellow or even white tones.
