Representatives of the big world of cacti attract flower growers with their exoticism and ease of care. Oddly enough, but many prefer the cute thorns of lush greenery. It's all a matter of taste. Blooming forms are especially loved by people, capable of briefly pleasing their owners with bright colors. The article is dedicated to the most beautiful cacti.
Astrophytum
Now it is fashionable to make all sorts of ratings, without them in the world of fashion, technology, beauty, literature and other areas simply nowhere. But floriculture is not far behind. Fans of thorny plants have compiled their rating of the most beautiful flowering cacti, based on people's feedback, unpretentiousness and beauty of the representatives of the tropical world.
In general, it is worth noting that the cactus family is incredibly extensive. But we want to pay attention to the most famous and unpretentious forms that are deservedly popular.
Astrophytum occupies the leading position among beautiful cacti. A bizarre plant is striking in its species diversity. Its distinctive feature is the presence of small woolen hairs on the surface, which prevent the evaporation of moisture. The plant is native to Mexico and the United States. In nature, there are several varieties of astrophytum:
- Capricorn (it has curved spines),
- decorated,
- multi-stigma (speckled).
This type of beautiful cacti is the most unpretentious. Plants bloom with large yellow flowers with a characteristic pubescent tubule. Caring for such a friend will not cause trouble. The cactus only needs bright light. It requires no fertilizer and is highly resistant to pests and diseases, making it incredibly popular.
Cacti are watered extremely rarely, and by autumn the amount of moisture is even more reduced. In winter, the plant can not be watered at all. Top dressing can be made only in the warm season. Every year, the plant can be transplanted into a mixture consisting of equal parts of sod, leaf, peat soil and sand. Grafting cacti is not worth it, as this reduces its lifespan and is bad for its appearance.
Gymnocalycium
Another representative of the world of beautiful cacti (photo is given in the article). The plant is gray-green in color and has a spherical shape. It reaches a height of no more than fifteen centimeters, and in diameter - from 4 to 10 centimeters. Its surface is dotted with unusual spines, which are collected in bunches. At the top of the cactus, white and very large graceful elongated petals bloom beautifully, revealing a delicate yellowcore.
According to various flower growers, the number of species of such a cactus ranges from 60-80. In wildlife, plants grow both in valleys and mountains. Gymnocalciums in the world of cacti resemble important people. They are portly and sedate, their spherical shape and ribs with beautiful spines make them very attractive not only during the flowering period. Gymnocalciums are incredibly unpretentious and resistant to pests. They are not as demanding on the sun as other relatives. But it is worth remembering that an excess of moisture is bad for them. But they like the warmth and moisture of greenhouses.
Schlumbergera
The second name is zygocactus. Another representative of the prickly world. The cactus blooms beautifully from December to February, which is why the people called it the Decembrist or Christmas tree. On the eve of the New Year holidays, plants are actively sold in all flower shops. Their flowering is so beautiful that every year there are more and more fans of zygocactus.
Epiphytic cactus has highly modified spines. The flat stem is equipped with the same flat leaves with small teeth (thorns). The plant is native to the humid forests of South America and Brazil. Zygocactus flowers can be white, cream, pink and red. There are quite a lot of buds on the plant. Each flower pleases the eye for two to three days. In total, the flowering of the bush lasts two to three weeks, and sometimes up to a month. With age, the stem of the plant becomes stiff, but at the same time it begins to branch slightly.
Zygocactus are unpretentious, but there are some nuances of their content. Plants do not like direct sunlight, they feel good in diffused light. Cacti need a stable temperature regime, without drops (18-20 degrees). For planting, it is better to take a loose nutrient mixture. Zygocactus need abundant watering.
If you want your Schlumbergera to bloom profusely, you need to provide it with a dormant period. In August and September, spraying, fertilizing should be stopped, and watering should be minimized. Under such conditions, the cactus must be kept for about a month at a low temperature. It is also necessary to bring out of dormancy gradually, increasing the intensity of watering. Do not be discouraged if you purchased a blooming handsome man, and at home he threw off most of the buds. This is a common reaction of a zygocactus to a change of habitat.
Ripsalis
Unusual beautiful cactus, which is grown as an ampelous form, because its shoots consist of branching segments. Like zygocactus, it is an epiphyte and lacks thorns. Beautiful cactus flowers delight the owners throughout the winter. They are small in size and are painted in white, pink or yellow. The plant is native to South and Central America. Schlumbergera and ripsalis are popularly called forest cacti because they grow on trees and rocks in humid forests.
The plants reach a height of 50 cm. The stems of the bushes hang down or have an upright shape, they consist ofindividual segments, at the junctions of which aerial roots appear in humid conditions. Cacti are devoid of spines, but are covered with stiff bristles. Ripsalis blooms in late spring.
The plant likes very light soil, but the universal soil is not suitable for it. Rhipsalis needs moisture, but he does not tolerate its excess. Abundant flowering can only be achieved in direct sunlight.
Echinopsis
Among the beautiful indoor cacti, it is worth highlighting echinopsis. These are one of the most common representatives of the cactus world in our homes. The popularity of Ekinopsis is due to its unpretentiousness and ease of care. In the course of the painstaking work of breeders, a lot of new hybrid forms were created. Beautiful cacti dazzle with their blooms.
Large funnel-shaped flowers available in pink, yellow or red.
Rebutia and sulcorebutia
Among the beautiful cacti for the home, we can recommend rebutia and sulcorebutia. Miniature representatives of the cactus family bloom profusely in spring or early summer. Luxurious flowers appear on the sides of the trunk and can have different shades. They usually create whole compositions. The plants are native to Argentina and Bolivia, where they grow in rock crevices.
Mammillaria
Mammillaria are small cacti with small shoots that have a characteristic structure. Plants are good to plant in large flat pots, growing they form whole colonies. Mammillaria is verya variety of stem shapes and flower colors that delight the owners in early spring. They form a crown on the plant at the top of the stem or a belt around it.
Flowers do not exceed one centimeter in diameter. The plant is native to Mexico and southern North America. Under natural conditions, they grow on rocky slopes, where it is cold at night and hot during the day. In total, there are 500 varieties of mammillaria in the world. Each species has external features and a different color of flowers.
At home, mammillaria often lack light. If you notice that the cactus is leaning and reaching for the window, then you need to move it to another place. In summer, plants are best taken outside. Watering in warm weather should be moderate, and in winter it should be completely reduced to once a month.
Epiphyllum
This is a beautiful leaf-shaped cactus with flat long shoots with teeth and notches along the edges. The epiphytic cactus is native to Mexico and America. There are many varieties and hybrids of epiphyllum. Outwardly, they have a bushy shape and are not very attractive. But the plant is incredibly transformed during flowering. Epiphyllums abundantly produce buds. The flowers are quite large and can reach a diameter of 10 cm. The plant needs bright diffused light. The color of epiphyllum flowers can be different: pink, white, yellow, cream. In the people, plants are often called "orchid cactus". They are able to bear fruit when cross-pollinated. Edible fruits are armed with thorns andhave a pineapple-strawberry flavor.
Cactus needs regular watering and spraying. But he does not need high humidity. In the summer, it must be taken outside.
How beautiful to plant cacti?
Single growing cacti are very beautiful during flowering. However, now it is incredibly fashionable to create whole compositions from them. They look very impressive, creating a thematic oasis. In stores, such compositions are quite expensive. But at home, you can create no less spectacular plantings. To do this, you need to purchase a flat wide pot. It is in such plants that they feel most comfortable.
At the bottom it is necessary to lay out a drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel up to three centimeters. Planting plants must be carried out in a special substrate for cacti. But you can make the soil yourself by mixing humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1. We fill the earth into a container, prepare holes for planting.
Planting plants
For the background of the composition, you can choose taller plants. Spherical cacti are placed in the center of the pot. And along the edges of the container, branched and low-growing forms look good.
Between plants, it is better to sprinkle the soil with colored gravel, which can be purchased at a specialized store. The composition can also be decorated with curly pebbles of different sizes. In general, here you can freely show your imagination, creatinga certain topic. Such a composition will become a real decoration of your interior.
Instead of afterword
For planting in one pot, you should choose species that have the same need for moisture. This will make maintenance easier. Beautiful compositions do not require much trouble, but they create an amazing mood, delighting the owners even in the absence of flowering. Any housewife can create such beauty in the house.
