A Guide to Different Types of Cacti

Cacti can be a fun and easy houseplant to keep, plus they make for great decoration. Having cacti in your home can help you with productivity, improve air quality, and make you happier. It’s important to choose the right type of cactus.

5-Minute Crafts has created a guide to help you identify and pick the best of them.

1. Bunny ear cactus

The bunny ear cactus is also known as the angel’s wing cactus. It’s one of the most popular cacti because it isn’t demanding and it has an attractive shape. If you take good care of it, the cactus will reward you with beautiful yellow and white flowers from time to time. However, be aware of its little spikes. If you touch them, they will lodge into your skin and are hard to remove. The only thing this type of cactus needs to thrive is enough sunlight and not too much water.

2. Rebutia cactus

The rebutia cactus has many names, but the most common ones are rebutia and crown cactus. This cactus has beautiful red and yellow flowers and it blooms at the end of the spring. It has short spikes, grows in clusters, and is easy to care for. It requires good lighting and frequent watering through the spring and summer. The soil should drain easily to prevent rotting and should be placed on an east-facing window.

3. Moon cactus

The moon cactus is a man-made cactus created by grafting dragon fruit. It is also called the star flowered cactus, ruby ball, and red cap. This type of cactus comes in many colors, such as orange, yellow, hot pink, and neon yellow. It has a spike on the curved veins. The rootstock must receive enough sunlight, so placement is very important. It should be placed near a window to receive partial sunlight because too much of it can lead to damage. Like many other cacti, it does not like too much water.

4. Rat tail cactus

The rat tail cactus is an easy cactus to grow. It has a long body that grows downward. The best place for it to be is in a hanging pot or mounted on the wall in a bright room that gets direct sunlight to simulate desert conditions. It should be watered more often in the summer and less in the winter. The flowers on this cactus are vibrant red and pink.

5. Snowball cactus

The snowball cactus is the fluffiest cactus out there. But don’t try to touch it because it has sharp spikes all over the body. The most common names for this plant are fishhook cactus, powder puff cactus, and powder puff pincushion. It has red, pink, and white flowers and it blooms during the summer. This type of cactus is easy to care for. Bright sunlight several hours a day should be enough. When the soil becomes completely dry, the plant needs water. It can grow 3 to 5 inches tall and 2 to 4 inches wide.

6. Star cactus

The star cactus gets its name because when viewed from above, it looks like a star. It is a popular houseplant thanks to its hardiness and shape. The cactus has a green body and can grow white flocking with a yellow flower that grows from the top. Caring for this cactus is easy, as it needs well-drained soil, a good amount of sunlight, and water when the soil gets dry. It can grow anywhere from 2 inches to 6 feet depending on the variety of the species.

7. Barrel cactus

The barrel cactus got its name because it is shaped like a barrel. It has a spiky green body with stiff spines all over it. Caring for this cactus is not that hard. It needs to be placed in a room that gets a good amount of sunlight and should be watered once a week in the summer and less during the winter. It blooms in spring and fall and has bright yellow or orange flowers.
❗Important: Do not touch it since it contains toxic sap that can cause skin irritation.

8. Queen of the night

The queen of the night cactus is also called epiphyllum oxypetalum. It gets its name because it blooms for one night and has white flowers that smell sweet. The body of this cactus is shaped like a tube. This cactus is not hard to keep. It doesn’t like too much light and it should be watered once every other week.

9. Totem pole cactus

The totem cactus has smooth skin, a green body, no spikes, and is shaped like a totem. It blooms only at night and has a light pink flower that produces edible fruit. This cactus likes a lot of sunlight and should be placed near a window. Like many of the cacti on this list, it shouldn’t be over-watered and needs to be planted in soil that has good draining.

10. Brain cactus

The brain cactus is a plant that looks like a brain. It has a green twisted body. It is a common houseplant and grows up to 5 inches tall and 6 inches wide. Caring for this cactus is easy, as most of the cacti on this list are. It needs to be watered sparingly, once every week or once every other week. It should be watered from the bottom, otherwise, it can rot. Like every cactus, it needs a good amount of sunlight with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. This cactus can be used as a fun Halloween decoration if put in a skull pot.