COLUMNIST: jordan TRAINER
There is a cactus for every space in the home from dark hallways to exposed, sunny windowsills. Where other tropical houseplants suffer from lack of light, humidity, and watering, cacti will thrive and make excellent low maintenance plants for your home.
My usual 5 houseplant recommendations is augmented with an extra one as a Christmas bonus!
The Christmas Cactus, or Schlumbergera, is a popular festive, flowering plant that will produce a colourful display of pink, red, white, or purple flowers depending on the type you choose. It is spineless and has a trailing habit making it a great choice for a shelf or plant hanger.
The Christmas Cactus originates from the tropical clime of the Brazilian rain forests, where it lives as an epiphyte growing on other trees and branches. Unlike most cacti that like sun this one prefers slightly shaded, indirect light. Keeping your plant in a cooler spot will help you promote repeat flowering. It does require more regular watering but still likes to dry out in between. Did you know the Christmas Cactus can easily live for 20 years, and even up to 100 years or more?
The Golden Barrel Cactus is a classic desert plant that thrives in the harsh, warm and dry climates of North and South America. It is covered with long, rigid spines that protect its soft centre. It is not one to touch and can cause harm if you get caught in one so it is best to enjoy it from a distance and keep away from children and pets.
Although it has a harsh exterior the Golden Barrel Cactus is a statement plant which looks great on its own or surrounded by other cacti. As a houseplant, it craves as much sun as you can provide and very little watering.
Barrel cactus eventually reach a maximum height around 1m (3ft) tall indoors with a lifespan of 50-100 years, making it a plant for life if you take good care of it.
Mammillaria hahniana, or Old Lady Cactus as it is commonly called, is an unusual white furry looking cactus that produces an abundance of hot pink flowers throughout the year. It thrives in bright, intense light so a window spot is ideal.
This cactus does not like to be lonely and is found growing in groups in its natural habitat of Central Mexico. Like most cacti, it is best to water sparingly every couple of weeks and during the winter months, best not to water at all while the plant goes into a dormant phase.
If you are looking for a dramatic, large houseplant then this one is a front runner. The statuesque Cowboy Cactus, Euphorbia Ingens, makes a real statement piece in the home, looking as though it has come straight from the deserts of Mexico.
This tall, sun-loving cactus is easy to care for and requires very little maintenance. If you purchase a large plant it may only need watered once a month. It does best in direct sun but can tolerate indirect light and partial shade. In the wild, this plant can grow upwards of 6m (20ft) making it one of the tallest cacti in the world.
Euphorbia trigona f. rubra is one of those easy cactus varieties that make every plant keeper feel like an expert. Known also as the cathedral plant, it can grow more than 3m (10ft) tall, but it is a slow grower and is unlikely to grow much past 1.8m (6ft) indoors. It is quite unique in that it produces lots of green leaves in between the thorns, and if you choose the red ‘rubra’ variety, the leaves are a dark burgundy colour which really makes them stand out from the crowd.
If you plant it in soil with good drainage and water it twice a month, then your African milk tree may live for decades.
Rodents may not be your thing, but the easy-to-grow rat tail cactus is one you need to get. In its wild habit of Mexico it grows in cracks and on trees where it hangs down and produces long trailing stems that produce vibrant red/pink blooms. If you do not have any shelf space this Cactus grows well in a hanging basket and can grow up to 1.8m (6ft) in length.
It prefers bright, indirect light and watering every couple of weeks. Too much watering can cause root rot which will kill the plant so it is best to allow the soil to dry out. If the simple care above is followed, the rat tail cactus is likely to produce a beautiful display of bright pink flowers in the spring and summer. Removing dead or dying stems in winter will also promote new growth and repeat flowering.
Jordan Trainer is Glasgow-based, plant enthusiast, and business owner of Plantique. With a passion for houseplants, he has been growing and collecting them for almost 10 years.
In his column for Scotland Grows, Jordan recommends his favourite houseplants for beginners.
Keep up with Jordan on his Instagram and Facebook feeds, or pop into his shop at 286 Dumbarton Road, Partick, G11 6TD.