Incorporating some greenery into the home is a terrific way to bring life into your space. Though, when you’re not well-versed in gardening or plant care it can be daunting to find the best plant for you and your needs. You can choose a low-maintenance plant for your space, but if you want to change things up a bit you should look into placing an indoor cactus into your space! These cactuses are beautiful additions to your home and some can even grow to a significant height with proper care.
Rats Tail Cactus
- Needs to be watered regularly during the growing season
- Needs to be kept in full, but indirect sunlight for best growth
- Needs potted, heavy soil
- The arms can grow up to 3.3 feet long
Rats tail cactuses are best known for their long brown arms that can grow to a couple of feet. They also have little pink flowers that grow on the legs if they get large enough and are kept in a big enough pot. Keeping such a cactus in a pot will need some tending too, however, so it’s recommended that every 2-3 years you re-pot this particular cactus so it has the room to keep growing.
When the winter time hits, you don’t need to water this cactus as much. In the summertime, you’ll need to regularly water it and make sure that the soil is kept moist.
Golden Barrel Cactus
- Needs to be watered during the spring and fall when you notice that the soil is drying
- Needs to be kept in bright sunlight, but indirect
- Needs soil that is a mix of sand, compost, and topsoil
- Can grow to be up to 5 feet
The Golden Barrel cactus, if taken care of properly, sprouts little golden flowers throughout the summertime. Additionally, if you take proper care of this plant you’ll be able to bask in its glory for several decades before you have to replace it.
When you’re first tending to this cactus it’ll be significantly smaller than its adult form, which means you have to re-pot them once a year. However, when they get a little older and larger you’ll need to re-pot them every 2-3 years.
When the colder winter temperatures hit you should water this less. Overwatering it when winter comes will dry them out and kill them.
Christmas Cactus
- Needs to be watered often enough that the top inch of soil is constantly moist
- Needs to be kept in bright, but indirect sunlight
- Needs a lightweight, well-drained soil
- Can grow to be up to 10-20 inches
This cactus’ name might suggest it’s a holiday plant and, yes, the colors resemble that of a poinsettia but it’s actually a succulent you can grab all year round. What’s great about this cactus is that it doesn’t have a bunch of little prickly points, which makes it safe if you have little kids running around or just want to reduce the risk of bumping into it by mistake.
You’ll need to re-pot this one every 2-3 years so it has the proper room to grow.
Make sure that this specific cactus isn’t drowning in water. You only want the top inch of soil to be moist, but if you overwater it then you’ll run the risk of killing it.
Pincushion Cactus
- Needs to be watered when the soil becomes dry
- Needs to be kept in direct sunlight throughout the year
- Needs a sandy, well-drained soil
- Can grow to be 5-6 inches
The Pincushion cactus is an attractive succulent that grows little pink flowers like a crown the more mature they become.
As this house cactus grows you’ll need to re-pot it every 1-2 years and kept in an unglazed clay pot with a hole in the bottom so you can drain the moisture easily. In order for the cactus to grow properly and maintain its aesthetic, you should keep it in direct sunlight through the entirety of the year.
When it comes to watering, you’ll want to give it some water every other week or so, or when you notice that the soil is getting dry. When the cooler weather hits you’ll want to water it way less, only once or twice a month.
Burro’s Tail Cactus
- Needs to be watered when the soil becomes dry
- Needs to be kept in partial sunlight
- Needs a sandy, well-drained soil
- Can grow to be 2 feet long
This house cactus is another non-prickly species you can enjoy. The only thing that you really need to watch out for with this one is that its leaves are particularly sensitive and the slightest touch will cause them to fall off. Be sure that you keep it somewhere in the home that doesn’t have a lot of traffic.
When it comes time to re-pot this cactus you’ll need to move it into a pot that is chalk-full of gritty soil. If you move it into a properly sized pot you should see this cactus grow up to 2 feet long, if not longer. Make sure it’s kept in bright, partial sunlight.
As for watering, don’t water it again until you notice that the soil is dry (about 3-4 weeks). Don’t overwater because it’s the easiest way to kill this sensitive plant. When the winter months hit you’ll want to make sure that you don’t water it as often because it’ll be “resting.”
These five house cacti will bring some life into your home without needing a ton of maintenance. Giving your bedroom or living room a beautiful cactus to spruce up the area turns a boring room into a livelier space!
