Warning
Cactus specimens with spines need to be handled carefullyavoid getting stuck by wearing thick gardening gloves.
It grows to about 20 inches high and up to 6 feet wide.
Beavertail has dark cherry pink flowers that almost glow and smell like watermelon.
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It blooms late winter to early summer and is ideal for desert landscaping and drought-tolerant gardens.
Beavertail looks great teamed with Angelita daisy and barrel cactus.
It can grow to 15 feet high and 6 to 10 feet wide.
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Crested species are usually smaller.
In its natural habitat, blue flame forms dense, cactus forests.
Like many cacti, blue flame is stunningly staged with gravel mix and rocks in a container.
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Candelabra Cactus (Myrtillocactus cochal)
Candelabra cacti can reach about 10 feet tall and wide.
It is also beautiful in xeriscape and rock gardens with other succulents and drought-tolerant plants.
It has the potential to grow to 3 feet high and up to 6 feet wide.
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Its fruit is juicy, tastes like strawberries, and turns bright orange as it ripens.
Claret cup cactus prefers a soil that contains more gravel than traditional cactus/succulent mixes.
It grows about 3 feet tall.
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Golden ball forms in clusters making it a smart choice forfire-resistant landscapinglike many other cacti.
Single specimens are striking in containers.
It is an excellent choice for beginning cactus gardeners.
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Golden ball cactus does best if it gets some shade during the hottest hours of the day.
Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii)
Golden barrel cactuscan grow up to 4 feet tall.
This iconic round cactus is easily recognizable and probably the most popular pop in used in drought-tolerant areas.
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Plant several in a grid for visually striking landscape design in a front or backyard.
Younger plants prefer some light shade, but once mature, golden barrel cactus thrives in full sun.
Hedgehog cacti are small and have free-branching clusters or mounds of erect stems that are sometimes prostrate.
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It growsto about 28 inches tall.
AllEchinocereushave ornamental spines that densely cover the surfaces of the plants and are especially sharp.
It looks attractive inrockand drought-tolerant gardens with other succulents and wildflowers.
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Individual stems are 3 to 8 inches in diameter.
During frost, protect the plant by placing Styrofoam cups or burlap over growing tips.
Plant it near a brightly colored wall for a dramatic effect or in containers with native flowers.
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Pair them with other taller cacti, succulents, native grasses, native shrubs, and flowers.
Species propagate easily from seed or cuttings.
Some collectors wash the “hair” of this species to keep it white.
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The flowers of this cactus are admired for theirstunning 4-inch bloomsand are primarily grown in hanging baskets.
Try hanging orchid cacti from branches of large trees; they will benefit from the fresh air and light.
Besides looking like old-fashioned organ pipes, the stems of this cactus resemble sausage links.
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These tall, columnar plants branch slightly above-ground into several ribbed stems.
Its flowers bloom in the evening and close at dawn during the spring.
Its vase-shaped blooms appear in the spring through early summer.
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Peanut cactus prefers shallow containers and grows well in rock gardens and xeriscapes.
Offsets (pups) drop off and are easy to propagate.
It can growto 15 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide.
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Companion plants include blue grama and side-oats grama grasses.
When grown outdoors, prickly pear cactus does not require any fertilizing.
It produces beautifultubular flowersin the spring.
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It is best grown as a hanging plant and likes afternoon shade.
Consider displaying rat tail cactus on a porch, covered patio, or tree branch.
Tall and branching, it is one of the most iconic cacti in the world.
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Unfortunately, saguaro is one of the least cold-tolerant cacti.Carnegieais named after American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
If planted near desert trees like mesquite and palo verde, saguaros will be protected from heat and frost.
Columns form clusters, and the plant likes full sun and well-draining soil.
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Its fruit forms a star pattern.
In warm regions, plant it in the ground massed in groups near large rocks.
If space is limited, cluster the cacti in a low, wide container.
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Unlike most columnar cactus, totem pole has neither spines nor ribs.
It is usually smaller if it is grown in containers.
Consider using this cactus as a statement piece or a bold accent in the ground or a large container.
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When grown in containers, it works best in unglazed pots, which allow excess moisture to evaporate.
Totem pole cactus also works well in drought-tolerant or desert landscaping.
Explorer Christopher Columbus reportedly discovered Melocactus on a West Indies island and brought it and other cacti to Europe.
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It grows to about 6 feet tall and up to 4 feet wide.
Cactus planted outside in a garden should be watered once a month.
How to Transplant a Cactus.University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
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