Cacti and Succulents

Part of the appeal of cacti and succulents is that they remind us of ourselves: fat ladies dancing or plump babies playing, or, in the case of cacti, old men with beards. Available in all kinds of shapes and sizes, they are great indoor plants, enjoying warm dry conditions and even thriving on neglect. They share a fleshy, mathematical beauty, often with perfect rosettes and a powdery bloom. They look good in textured containers and, with their geometric forms, complement modern interiors perfectly.

A succulent is a plant with plump, fleshy leaves or stems (or both), which enable it to retain water to help it survive in arid conditions. Cacti are a type of succulent, but in all except a few primitive species the leaves have become modified to spines or hairs and the stems have taken over the function of the leaves -- being thick, fleshy and with the ability to photosynthesize.

Cacti are an acquired taste, but, with a little care, they will suddenly amaze you with a flower of such exotic beauty and intense color that it makes the years of non-flowering worth it. Although most cacti have their natural home in warm, semi-desert regions of the Americas, some grow as epiphytes on trees in forests of tropical South America. Some of these, such as zygocactus, schlumbergera and rhipsalidopsis, have produced hybrids and varieties that are popular flowering houseplants in winter and spring.

There are species that creep and cascade, others that have hairy or cylindrical spiny columns, some with flat jointed pads, and others with globular or candelabra shapes. The only drawback is their prickles. Even those that look soft and silky have a way of penetrating your skin and becoming invisible to the naked eye, although intensely irritating, even painful, to the flesh. Repotting is a task akin to bee-keeping in its need for protective clothing. Children are often attracted to the small-scale and rounded shapes of some cluster-forming varieties such as Mammillaria zeilmanniana and Rebutia fibrigii, so they should be warned to take care.

Cacti have no "leaves", just a moisture-retaining stem covered with prickles, hairs or spines. They can be propagated easily by breaking off" the offsets and sitting them in a stony potting mix. Very large cactus specimens are now available and would make an ideal investment if you have a large loft-style space.