Cactus or not cactus ... that is the question

great blog and well explained hywel, i must say i have got some confused but most i do know the difference, but will probably still make mistakes, thanx for this :o)) x

It's easy to confuse them Sandra ... Don't worry. It's just an explanation :o) x

You had me rushing back to my photos page to check whether OH has Cactus or not. Still not sure. He can check it out himself later on. It never ceases to amze me how much we learn on GOY. Thank you for taking the time to explain so well.

I bought a cactus today from Morrisons - Christmas Cactus - it sits beside me on desk :)))) The pink flowers are similar to the sempervivums on one of the pics - they're great additions - lovely pics

Generally, Scotsgran, if they've got leaves, they are not cacti
Thanks for reading my blog, and your comment.

Thanks Paul. Christmas cacti are very pretty

absolutely brilliant. clear text and photos. not overly technical either. thanks hywel

I have a question on Christmas Cacti - do they have to be kept moist ? Label states this - but I thought cacti didn't need much ? just don't want to kill it

Thank you Seaburngirl

Paul, they have to be kept moist when in flower, like all other plants.
They need a dryish dormant period to bring them into flower, (usually late summer / autumn) but then water normally after the buds begin to appear. Also give them a feed now and then.
Desert cacti can stand droughts, but these are from tropical rain forests

Thanks Hywel :))))

y w ...

very interesting, thanks hywel

Thanks from me as well - I thought I was ok recognising those two but still learnt a lot:) nice of you sharing your knowledge with us:)

Useful blog, Hywel ..
explained well :o)

A blog I'll refer to in the future - very informative thanks.

Well done, Hywel, for writing such an informative blog! I liked it very much, you made the explanations clear & with the help of the photos there is really no "excuse" for people calling succulents "cacti" nor for calling Cacti "succulents" any more! :-))

I've added it to my favourites for future reference!

Would it be rain that triggers cacti to flower in the wild? That would explain why they need to be watered when in flower and then allowed to go dry again

Great blog Hywel and very imformative, I have never known the difference so really appreciate the time you have taken to explain, added to favs...

Very interesting Hywel, think I am one of those that always make that mistake! I have learnt something today. Thank you.

Great blog Hywel, really interesting! I'm putting it on my favs so I remember who's who! :-)

Very nicely explained. How do you make them flower so profusely ? Is their dormancy a key?

Blimey Hywel, I've learnt so much from reading your brilliant blog. I shall have to print it out and translate what you've posted and show it to my neighbour Ottavia who loves cacti....

Thank you all for reading my blog. I'm pleased so many people found it interesting

Andrew I think rain (or at least some moisture, maybe in the form of dew etc) after a dormant period may help cacti flower in the wild. I try to give them those conditions at home, to get them flowering.
But also I think their age must be taken into account - some will not flower until they are so many years old. Also the amount of light will have an effect I believe.

Mochiseki I think the dormancy plays a part in geting them to flower. It's like all plants really - they need a resting period. I keep them cool and dry during winter. I get varying degrees of success. Sometimes they flower well, sometimes not ...

Thanks Hywel have added your blog to favourites for future reference. It was the Euphorbia ones that threw me. Thanks for the info.

Lovely blog Hywel :)

Wow, I think I will have to come back again to check all this information out. Very interesting, thank you, Hywel, you certainly can learn a lot on GoY.

Hi Hywel, When we were at the Eden project last year i posed the Cacti flowering question with the chap in the desert house, his explanation was that when plants were at the right age and size they (Eden) placed them in front of an electric fan for a few days, in 85% of cases they flowered shortly after. He reckoned this could be because at certain times in the Desert it gets very very windy and allows seeds to be scattered ?
Please note i have no idea if this is true.