When you picture a cactus, you probably think of a spiky desert plant sitting on a sunny windowsill. But not every cactus lives in the desert. Some grow high up in tropical forests, climbing trees and trailing through the canopy rather than sitting in hot, dry sand.
Most cacti sold as houseplants fall into two broad groups: Desert cacti and Jungle cacti.
Desert cacti are the ribbed, spiny globes, columns and pads you probably recognise, while jungle cacti tend to have flatter, trailing or climbing stems and prefer softer light with more regular watering.
Knowing which group your cactus belongs to makes caring for it much easier. It gives you a good starting point for choosing the right spot, working out how often to water and even picking the right soil mix.
In this guide, we’re looking at some of the most popular types of cactus you’ll find in UK homes, how to identify them, which are safe to keep around pets and the familiar ‘cacti’ that aren’t actually cacti at all. We’ll also explain why desert and jungle cacti need different growing conditions, including the two types of cactus potting mix we recommend for them.
Types of Cactus at a Glance
| Type | Group | Examples | How to recognise it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel and globe cacti | Desert | Golden barrel (Echinocactus grusonii), chin cactus (Gymnocalycium) | Round, ribbed body with rows of spines |
| Pincushion cacti | Desert | Mammillaria | Small ball or short column, spines in spirals, a ring of flowers in spring |
| Prickly pears | Desert | Opuntia | Flat, oval pads joined end to end, dotted with tufts of glochids |
| Columnar cacti | Desert | Cereus forbesii 'Spiralis', monkey tail cactus (Cleistocactus colademononis) | Ribbed columns, upright or hanging |
| Holiday cacti | Jungle | Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) | Arching chains of flat stem segments, flowers in winter |
| Orchid cacti | Jungle | Epiphyllum, fishbone cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger) | Long, flat, strap-like stems; the fishbone cactus has zig-zag edges |
| Mistletoe cacti | Jungle | Rhipsalis | Thin, pencil-like trailing stems with few or no visible spines |
| Climbing cacti | Jungle | Dragon fruit cactus (Hylocereus undatus) | Three-sided stems that climb using aerial roots |
Desert vs Jungle Cacti Care
| Desert cacti | Jungle cacti | |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full, direct sun; a south or west-facing window | Bright, indirect light; an east-facing window suits a Christmas cactus year round |
| Summer watering | Soak, then let the mix dry out completely. Roughly every 10 to 14 days for Mammillaria, every 2 to 3 weeks for Opuntia | Water when the top 2 to 3 cm of mix is dry. For a Christmas cactus in a 12 cm pot, that is usually every 7 to 14 days |
| Winter | Cool, bright and almost dry from November to February | A steadier routine, though a Christmas cactus needs a cool, dark, drier spell in autumn to set buds |
| Potting mix | Gritty and fast-draining, such as Desert Mix | Free-draining but moisture-holding, such as Simply Cacti |
| RHS hardiness on our listings | H2 | H1c |
Desert Cacti
Desert cacti are the plants most people picture: thick, ribbed stems armed with spines and built to store water through long dry spells. Indoors, give them the sunniest spot you have. On a north or east-facing windowsill most will survive, but they stretch towards the glass, turn pale and rarely flower, and that stretched growth never tightens back up.
Pot them into a gritty, fast-draining mix such as our Desert Mix Potting Mix. Standard houseplant compost holds far too much water for these roots which can result in serious damage.
Barrel and Globe Cacti
The golden barrel cactus, Echinocactus grusonii, is the classic desert shape: a round, ribbed globe from Mexico covered in bright yellow spines. Chin cacti (Gymnocalycium) are smaller globular cacti from South America; the genus name means "naked calyx", after their spine-free flower buds. Both follow the soak-and-dry routine above.
Pincushion Cacti
Mammillaria is one of the largest cactus genera and one of the easiest to recognise: a tight ball or short column wrapped in spiralling spines, which in spring produces a neat ring of small pink, white or yellow flowers around the top. Those flowers depend on a cold, dry winter. A pincushion kept warm and watered through winter stays alive but stops blooming.
Prickly Pear Cacti
Prickly pears (Opuntia) build up as flat pads stacked one on another. The long spines are not the real problem; the glochids are. These tufts of fine, barbed hairs come away at the slightest touch and lodge in skin, so handle every Opuntia with folded newspaper or thick gloves. If you do get caught, sticky tape lifts most of them out. Do not rub the area.
Two in our range show how varied the genus is. Opuntia 'Jamaican Ghost' is a variegated form that needs even more light than a plain green prickly pear. Opuntia consolea, the roadkill cactus, stacks thin, elongated pads into an upright, tree-like shape that looks almost flat from the side.
Columnar Cacti
Columnar cacti form ribbed columns. Some stand upright, like Cereus forbesii 'Spiralis', whose ribs twist around the stem as it lengthens. Others hang: the monkey tail cactus, Cleistocactus colademononis, sends out long trailing stems covered in soft white hair-like spines, which makes it one of the few desert types that works in a hanging pot. Treat both as desert cacti for light and watering.
Jungle Cacti
Jungle cacti, sometimes called forest cacti, live as epiphytes on trees in tropical forest rather than in open desert. That changes their care. They want bright but indirect light, a mix that holds a little moisture, and more regular watering than their desert relatives. Most have few or no obvious spines, and they are chosen for their trailing stems or flowers rather than their shape.
They also need a different mix. Our Simply Cacti Tropical Potting Mix is formulated for jungle cacti such as Schlumbergera, Rhipsalis and Epiphyllum. It drains freely but keeps back enough moisture for roots that would dry out too fast in a gritty desert mix.
Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is the jungle cactus most people already know: arching chains of flat stem segments that flower in midwinter. Its flowers depend on autumn. From mid-September it needs 12 to 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness every night, cool nights and sparing water until buds appear. Skip that rest and it rarely flowers. Too much sun shows quickly too: on a hot south-facing sill in summer, the segments bleach red or purple. Our Christmas Cactus Care Guide sets out the full autumn routine.
Orchid and Fishbone Cacti
Epiphyllum species are known as orchid cacti for their large flowers, which open from the edges of long, flat, strap-like stems. The fishbone cactus, Epiphyllum anguliger, is the most recognisable, with deeply notched stems in a zig-zag pattern. Once the stems lengthen, they trail well from a high shelf or hanging pot.
Mistletoe Cactus
Rhipsalis barely looks like a cactus at all: masses of thin, pencil-like stems that cascade over the pot, with few or no visible spines. Rhipsalis 'Red Coral', native to Brazil, trails in autumn tones and is rated for beginners, drought tolerant and pet safe. For a shelf out of direct sun, it is a much better choice than any desert type.
Dragon Fruit Cactus
The dragon fruit cactus, Hylocereus undatus (now often listed as Selenicereus undatus), is a climber with three-sided stems that grip supports with aerial roots. It is the exception in this group on light: our dragon fruit cactus wants bright, direct sun, should dry out fully between waterings, and needs to stay above 10°C. Treat any fruit as a bonus rather than the reason to buy one.
Cactus Lookalikes That Are Not Cacti
Several plants sold as cacti belong to a different family entirely. The coral cactus, the pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli) and the African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona) are all Euphorbia, succulents mostly from Africa and Madagascar that arrived at a similar spiny, water-storing shape on their own. The difference matters. Every Euphorbia produces a white, milky sap that irritates skin and eyes and is toxic to people and pets, so always wear gloves to handle one.
To tell a cactus from a Euphorbia, look at where the spines start. On a true cactus, spines grow in clusters from areoles: small raised or woolly cushions dotted over the stem. Euphorbia have no areoles, and where they have spines at all, they usually sit singly or in pairs straight off the stem. A damaged stem that weeps white sap is a Euphorbia. Our Euphorbia care guide covers how to handle and repot them safely.
Areoles also explain why the Christmas cactus and Rhipsalis count as cacti despite having almost no spines. And while every cactus is a succulent, most succulents are not cacti; our explainer on the difference between a cactus and a succulent goes into the rest.
How to Identify What Kind of Cactus You Have
You can place most cactus types in four checks:
- Look for areoles. No areoles means it is not a cactus. White sap points to Euphorbia.
- Look at the stems. Round, ribbed or column-shaped stems with plenty of spines mean a desert cactus. Flat, segmented, strap-like or trailing stems with few spines mean a jungle cactus.
- Narrow down the shape. Flat pads with glochids are Opuntia. A small ball with spiralling spines is usually a Mammillaria. Chains of flat segments that flower in winter are a Christmas cactus.
- Care for it by group if you are still unsure. Full sun and a dry winter for desert types; bright, indirect light and steadier watering for jungle types. Getting the group right matters more than the exact name.
Which Types of Cactus Are Pet-Safe?
In our range, the Christmas cactus, Rhipsalis 'Red Coral', the dragon fruit cactus, Opuntia 'Jamaican Ghost' and Opuntia consolea are all listed as pet safe, which means non-toxic if chewed. Non-toxic is not the same as harmless, though. Spines, and Opuntia glochids in particular, can still injure a curious cat or dog. In a home with pets, the Christmas cactus and Rhipsalis are the more practical choices, and every Euphorbia should stay out of reach. Our pet-safe houseplants collection has more options.
Can Cactus Survive a UK Winter?
Not outdoors, for the cacti sold as houseplants. The cacti in our houseplant range carry RHS hardiness ratings of H1c or H2. Our desert cacti are rated H2, which the RHS defines as tolerating low temperatures but not surviving being frozen. Our jungle cacti are rated H1c, which means they need protection through winter and can only go outside in summer. A single frost can kill either.
Indoors, winter is where the two groups part ways. Desert cacti want a bright, unheated room and almost no water from November to February; that cool, dry rest is what sets next year's flowers. Kept on a warm, regularly watered windowsill all winter, they survive but rarely bloom. Jungle cacti keep a steadier routine, apart from the Christmas cactus's autumn rest. For the detail, see our guide to watering cacti and succulents.
Which Cactus Is Easiest to Care for Indoors?
It depends on your windows more than your experience. If you have a south-facing sill with direct sun for most of the day, a prickly pear is one of the more forgiving indoor cactus plants, as long as you water less than you think. If you do not, skip the desert cacti rather than hoping one copes; choose Rhipsalis 'Red Coral' or a Christmas cactus, which both suit an east-facing window. Whatever the type, overwatering kills more cacti indoors than anything else, so check that the mix has dried before you reach for the watering can.
You will find desert and jungle types side by side in our cacti and succulents collection. If you are not sure which type you have, send us a clear photo and our team will help you identify it.