In nature, These cacti will produce small yellow flowers in the summer, but only after reaching about 20 years in age.Īveraging about 2-3cm in height per year, there are many different types of cacti in the Ferocactus family which make common houseplants. Even with so little water, you can expect them to grow about 1-2cm per year. The Golden Barrel cactus can thrive with watering as infrequently as once every two or three months. These need plenty of light, but not much water. The Golden Barrel cactus from the genus Echinocactus, is a good beginner choice for growing indoors. When deciding on the right type of cactus, it’s important to ask yourself what you are expecting from it.Īre you just looking for a cute piece of décor, do you want a plant to cherish and watch grow for the next 20 years, or, are you looking for a cactus who will produce beautiful floral displays? There are about 2000 different species of cacti out there after all. Selecting the right cactus plant for your home can be a bit overwhelming, since there are so many to choose from. However, living in the desert means that survival via water retention is much more important than creating energy for faster growth. Since the there are fewer stomata which are open for less amounts of time, cacti are unable to take in very much carbon dioxide, limiting their ability to perform photosynthesis. These stomata also tend to only open at night when temperatures are cooler, to further protect against evaporation. This is why cacti have evolved to have fewer stomata than other plants.
Since cacti need to store as much water inside them as possible to survive long periods of draught, having their stomata open too long is a clear disadvantage. The catch is that whenever the stomata are opened, some water is able to evaporate out while the carbon dioxide is rushing in. In order for any plant to grow quickly, it requires access to a lot of carbon dioxide.
Stomata are tiny pores located on the surface of plants, which allow them to take in carbon dioxide to be used for photosynthesis. These don’t play a role in energy production, however, the spines in combination with strategically angled ridges are able to produce some protective shade for the body of the cactus. Instead of leaves, cacti have areoles and spines. This limits their ability to create plant food from the sun, which means they will grow much slower than other plants. Without leaves, cacti have much less chlorophyll. These plants who are able to conduct photosynthesis at a very rapid rate, are able to grow much faster. Having larger leaves means a plant will have more chlorophyll and a better ability to conduct photosynthesis. Leaves are also very important in efficient photosynthesis, where the plant uses rays of light from the sun to create energy for rapid growth. Leaves are typically used in the process of transpiration, which is when water absorbed by the roots of a plant is later evaporated through the leaves. One of the cactus plants most important adaptations for surviving the desert climate, is the absence of leaves. In this article, you’ll learn exactly what to expect in terms of the speed at which your cactus will grow and how you can help it go a little bit faster.
From there, most cactus plants will grow about 1-3cm per year, with a few notable exceptions which can sometimes grow up to 15cm per year.Ĭactus plants are some of the most low maintenance plants that you can choose to grow in your home, but this comes with the trade off of requiring plenty of patients. If being grown from seed, they might only reach a few centimeters in height after the first 2 or 3 years, depending on the species. Most types of cactus plants grow very slowly. So if you own a cactus but it doesn’t seem to be growing like your other houseplants, you’re probably wondering – how fast do cactus plants grow? A large cactus houseplant is not only impressive because of its looks, but also because of the commitment and time required for it to reach that size. However, larger cacti are hard to come by.Ĭactus plants naturally grow much slower than most plants, thanks to adaptations for living in their natural desert habitat. Having a cactus plant in your home provides an eye catching and interesting addition to your décor, especially if that cactus is quite large.