Almost everyone knows that a cactus can go a long time between drinks, but there are a number of plants in other families -- crassula, euphorbia, and lily -- that can do the same thing. But, what is a cactus and how do you care for it?
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Cacti are a type of plant called succulents. They've learned how to compete for survival all over the world.
Cacti from desert areas, like the Mammillaria and Echinocactus, are plump and spiny while those that originally grew in jungle areas are flat or thin and spineless like the Rhipsalis and Schlumbergera.
There are even cacti with leaves. For instance, the Pereskia, when full grown, looks a bit like an orange or grapefruit tree. Other succulents come from a number of families.
The agave, milkweed, lily, and crassula have many members. These plants, with or without spines, all have compact growth habits and lots of character.
This character has caused us to bring them into our homes. In this article, we'll talk about how to care for cactus plants.
Light Requirements of Cactus Plants will help you break the myth that cacti need lots of sunlight. Learn which cactus plants require hours of natural light and which ones can thrive indoors.
Water and Humidity Requirements of Cactus Plants is a great resource to find out just how wet your plants need to be.
Temperature Requirements of Cactus Plants will teach you everything you need to know about the tolerance level of cacti.
Fertilizing Cacti will help you determine whether or not you should fertilize your cactus plants.
Preventing Cacti Pests and Diseases will alert you to what pests and diseases are most harmful to your plant and how to deal with them.
Potting Cactus Plants will teach you how to correctly pot your plant, how to remove a stuck plant from its pot, and how to handle spiny plants.
Propagating Cacti will explain how to successfully propagate, divide, cut, graft, and grow your plant from seeds.
Arranging Cactus Plants is a great resource for learning how to arrange different types of cactus plants.
Putting a cactus near the sunny window is a no-brainer, but what if your view is of a sunless brick wall? Learn about the light requirements of cactus plants in the next section.