Cacti are truly fascinating plants, ranging from towering desert giants to tiny, palm-sized treasures. If you’re looking to bring some desert vibes indoors, the smaller, more compact species from the desert and leaf cacti families are perfect for your home. Here are some of my favorite indoor cacti to get your collection started:
Compact Cacti Under Three Feet
These little guys are perfect for brightening up a windowsill with their vibrant blooms and unique shapes:
- Cephalocereus senilis: Better known as the “Old Man Cactus,” this one grows in columns about 15 inches tall. It’s famous for its shaggy, silvery-white “hair” that’s actually soft to the touch rather than prickly.
- Astrophytum: The “Bishop’s Cap” stays pretty small (about 8 to 15 inches) and treats you to stunning, bright red flowers during the summer months.
- Echinocactus: The “Golden Barrel Cactus” is a classic. It has a round, globe-like body covered in striking, golden-yellow spines.
- Ferocactus acanthodes: Often called the “Devil’s Pincushion,” this one can reach about 3 feet in height and grows in a wide, cushion-like shape that can get up to 12 inches across.
Prickly Pears (Opuntia) are also super popular houseplants. You can find them with or without spines, and they come in all sorts of colors. The best part? If you take good care of them, they’ll reward you with beautiful flowers and even edible fruit!
Cacti for Hanging Baskets
If you’re looking for something that trails beautifully from a hanging planter, you’ve got to check out these exotic varieties:
- Aporocactus: This “Rat Tail Cactus” produces long stems that can reach about 28 inches. From March to June, it puts on a show with gorgeous red blossoms.
- Rhipsalis: Known as “Coral Cacti,” these are actually spineless! They have long, leaf-like stems and produce tiny, delicate white flowers in the spring.
- Epiphyllum: These “Leaf Cacti” feature broad, trailing stems about 15 to 24 inches long. Many varieties in this family will actually bloom twice a year if they’re happy.
- Selenicereus grandiflorus: This one is famously called the “Queen of the Night” because its fragrant flowers only open after dark. It’s also known as the “Snake Cactus” thanks to its long, slender, winding stems.
And of course, we can’t forget the most famous indoor cactus of all: the Christmas Cactus (botanically known as *Schlumbergera*). It’s so unique that many people don’t even realize it’s a cactus at first! It trades sharp spines for soft bristles and shows off its iconic red flowers right around the holiday season every year.
