There are numerous different types of cactus plants. There is an estimation that presently, there are as much as 1000 to 2000 different varieties of cactus plants. While some are easy to find, the others are rare in nature. It is not at all essential for an individual to remain a perfect gardener for enjoying their unusual beauty.

1. Different types of Cactus
There are numerous different types of cactus plants. There is an estimation that presently, there are as much as
1000 to 2000 different varieties of cactus plants. While some are easy to find, the others are rare in nature. It is
not at all essential for an individual to remain a perfect gardener for enjoying their unusual beauty.
The sea urchin or Easter lily is one such type of Cactus. It forms a part of the Echinopsis family along with the
peanut cacti. The main characteristics of such types of cacti are that they come in varying sizes and have a
thick coat of spines. The most amazing thing about this type of cactus is that it has large flowers irrespective of
the size of the cactus.
Barrel cactus
The barrel cactus is the other form of cactus. The name barrel came mainly because they are in the shape of a
barrel and have large yellow spines. Another name for barrel cactus is compass plant . That is because they
normally grow south in order to avoid the sunburn. The base of such cactus plants comprises of small suckers.
The flowering period for this cactus plant is a bit late, as compared to the other types of cactus.
The beaver tail cactus is the most common types of cactus. Hence, ample amount of space is a must for
growing such cactus plants. They normally grow to a height of 2.5 inches. Another type of cactus plant is the
brain plant. Thin ribs are a characteristic feature of such forms of cactus, which mostly remind the person of a
human brain.
Saguaro Cactus
The saguaro cactus is the most reputed form of cactus. The normal pronounciation for this is “wsuh-wah-roh”.
It takes approximately 75 years for this cactus to grow the first arm. The growth rates of such types of cactus
are extremely slow and sometimes exceed 100 years. The flowers normally bloom at night and are mostly
pollinated by bats. It is against state law in Arizona to harm a cactus plant.
Other Major Types of Cactus
The other major types of cacti normally include the columnar cacti and the pincushion cacti. The main
characteristic of the columnar cacti is that they comprise of cylindrical stems along with ribs from bottom to
the top. Species such as lophocereus, carnegiea, stenocereus and packycereus are included in such varieties of
cacti.
Pincushion cacti mainly comprise of unbranched cylindrical stems devoid of ribs. The sizes in such types of
cactus are less than 6 inches. The central spines are normally hooked and include the mammillaria species.
Prickly pear cacti normally have pad-like, flattened stems. Large variety of cactus is observed in America as
compared to the other continents.