If you don't want to share your apartment with a large columnar cactus, look for suitable cactus species for your home. They should be small in size and have colorful flowers. This selection introduces you to the most beautiful species and varieties.
Which cacti are best for home?
The best types of cactus for home are dwarf cactus, Greisenhaupt, and Lobivia hertrichiana for small heights, bishop's cap and gold ball cactus for spherical shapes as well as Christmas cactus and coral cactus as leaf cacti for windowsills and hanging baskets.
Spiny dwarfs up to 40 cm tall
Cactus species that stay small are ideal for planting cacti in a bowl, glass or aquarium for your home. The following species and varieties impress with their delicate growth and pretty flowers:
- Dwarf cactus (Chamaecereus silvestrii): height 5-10 cm, finger-shaped, prostrate stems, white thorns, red flowers
- Greisenhaupt (Cephalocereus senilis): height 20-30 cm, columnar, white hairy body
- Lobivia hertrichiana: growth height 5-10 cm, cylindrical, branched body, large, scarlet flowers
Spherical cacti for home
With their round body, breathtaking thorns and exotic flowers, the following cacti appear like figures from another world:
- Bishop's cap (Astrophytum): growth height 20-40 cm and a flowering period that lasts for months throughout the summer
- Gold ball cactus (Echinocactus grusonii): height and width maximum 50 cm, golden yellow, strong thorns, yellow flowers
The ideal cacti for the home also include the round-shaped Parodia aureispina, which have a maximum diameter of 15 cm. In spring, up to 12 bright yellow flowers unfold, attracting everyone's attention over a period of 3 weeks.
Leaf cacti for windowsills and hanging baskets
If you don't feel like dealing with sharp thorns, you don't have to miss out on cactus magic in your home. The following cacti do without a prickly coat and boast decorative decorative leaves and a wonderful flower:
- Christmas cactus (Schlumberga): height 30-40 cm, slender, drooping shoots, beautiful flowers at Christmas time
- Coral cactus (Rhipsalis): growth length up to 30 cm, light green, narrow leaf tendrils and white-green flowers
One of the most beautiful leaf cacti for the apartment is called 'German Empress'. The richly branched, lush green tendrils reach a length of up to 100 cm. Its pink, funnel-shaped flowers, which reach a diameter of 10 cm, are breathtakingly beautiful.
Tip
In order to keep your cacti blooming, most species and varieties need a cool, dry winter rest. From November to February, place the plants in a bright location with temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius.