Cactus and succulents are extremely popular when it comes to gardening. Growing a hardy plant that produces edible fruits is often the end goal for some. You can mix up cactus and succulents with drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses if you're looking to end up with a natural garden design. 

Cacti are ideal for landscaping because they are low maintenance and look amazing no matter the season. The general growing conditions and the overall level of maintenance will determine which cactus is best for outdoor use. Cacti also have beautiful blooms, making them a fascinating plant to grow and care for. This guide has narrowed down to some of the best cactus plants for the garden. Read on to find more about cactus plants. 

1.Orchid Cactus
It’s worth noting that orchids are originally from tropical rain forests of Central and South America. The orchid cactus has large cup-shaped blooms that come in various colors. Orchid cacti grow to 225 feet in the tropical Americas. Unless you live in a tropical climate, this plant is not invasive. There is no need to prune your orchid cactus unless you want it to be presentable at all times. The best time to prune it back after it finishes flowering. 

Orchids are tropical tree-dwellers whose roots feed on decomposed organic matter and are exposed to the air. Repot every 2-3 years while gradually increasing the pot size. The orchid cactus thrives in a slightly pot-bound environment. It's typical for bulbs and blooms to drop when re-potted. They only need some little water to keep their stems from shriveling in the winter. Most varieties start actively growing in early spring. Orchids also need moisture in the air, besides their roots. 

Once flowering starts, this cactus prefers diluted fertilizer in the fall, winter, and spring. This cactus needs to be exposed to 50–60 degree temperatures for a few weeks in the winter so it can bloom. You want to avoid the effects of overwatering at all costs. Root rot also tends to attract fungus gnats. This cactus prefers to be potted with normal soil amended with peat and sand.

2.Beavertail cactus
Native to the southwest US and northwest Mexico desert regions, beavertail prickly pear is ideal for rock or cactus gardens. This odd-looking oval-shaped cactus grows two to three feet tall and four feet wide. Its greenish-purple snippets resemble a beaver's tail, hence the name. It blooms from late winter to early summer and is ideal for desert gardens. 

Beavertail cacti growing in containers thrive in a sunny patio or deck. If you live in a colder climate, bring the plant indoors during the winter. Prickly Pear Cactus Beavertail is a disease-free, deer and rabbit resistant, and a low maintenance option if you're looking for an outdoor plant that would keep up with rugged conditions. The blooms attract hummingbirds, songbirds, bees, and other beneficial insects. 

Water a baby beavertail cactus every two to three weeks. After that, no more watering is needed. It's never a good idea to let the plant sit in wet soil. Soil fertility needs aren't necessary for this cactus plant. In the spring and summer, a diluted water-soluble pesticide solution can be used to keep the bugs at bay.

3.Turk’s Cap
Turk's cap is a plant found in the southeastern US and Mexico. Turk's cap is a hibiscus relative, and its petals never fully open. Its small flower resembles a traditional Turkish hat, hence its name. Turk's cap is a high-maintenance cactus that should never be left to dry out entirely. Because it grows on rocky hillsides in its natural habitat, Turk's cap cactus does well in xeriscapes with native shrubs or perennials. You can also try growing it alongside wildflowers. Your Turk’s cap can endure both slightly dry and wet conditions. 

Once established, you won't need to water it often. If your Turks Cap gets leggy, cut it back. When temperatures drop below the freezing point in the winter, cut it back to about 6 inches above the ground. Turk's cap is a hardy plant that grows in zones 7–10  and only needs basic care. Rich, slightly acidic soil is best for growing Turk’s cap lilies. In any case, plant the bulbs in well-drained soil. 

Amend the soil before planting for nutrient retention and drainage. Also, preparing the soil before planting makes Turk's cap lily care easier. The Turk's cap cactus needs temperatures above 70 degrees to survive; cold or frost will kill it.  Even though this cactus can do well with moist environments, avoid leaving the soil too soggy because the roots will eventually rot.

4.Rat Tail Catus
Even though the rat tail cactus is a perfect option for the outdoor setting, its bright red and pink flowers make it a lovely hanging houseplant. Inside, Rat Tail Cacti thrive in a semi-enclosed environment like a patio but will do better in warm weather outdoors. The plants are easy to grow and add volume to hanging baskets, succulent containers, or, best of all, in a landscape filled with a collection of other cacti types. 

The rat tail cactus has short, fine spines and long stems. The plant is green when young, but the stems turn light brown as they age. Its flowers are rare to sprout, but they are bright pink to red. Tube-shaped blooms up to 3 inches long will appear on its mature stems. This desert-adapted cactus requires year-round exposure to direct sunlight. During the growing season, water your rat tail cactus pretty frequently.

Water a lot less in the fall and as winter approaches. It doesn't need water during the winter, but water lightly if the soil is completely dry. Feed your rat tail cactus once every two weeks with diluted liquid fertilizer during the spring and summer. The rat tail prefers rich potting soil. Plant your rat tail cactus in well-drained cactus or succulent soil. This cactus needs four parts loam, one part vermiculture, and one part sand for drainage.

5.Claret Top Cactus
Claret top cactus is also known as hedgehog, Mojave mound, kingcup, and strawberry cactus. This cactus produces a juicy strawberry-flavored fruit that turns bright orange as it ripens. The claret top cactus is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant garden plant and enjoys the full sun. An American Southwest desert native, the claret cup cactus is a desert beauty with tolerance to an arid climate. It’s a fascinating cactus plant that many gardeners can consider growing.

Its deep orange waxy blossoms atop spiny stems from April to June brighten up rock gardens and desert areas. When mature, it can produce hundreds of flowers in a few weeks. Summer feeding and repotting are required when the container becomes too small if you don't want to grow it in the ground. Mealybugs and scale, which can harm the cactus flesh or roots, need to be suppressed early. An infestation can cause a cactus to turn pale. 

Insecticide treatment for infestations and replanting container plants in new soil are viable remedies. Cacti plants like the claret top prefer loose, sandy soil with proper drainage. Many cacti, including the claret top cactus, can withstand cold. Temperatures above 50°F, however, are ideal. Humidity is rarely a problem for them as long as the soil drains well.

6.Old Man Cactus
The Old Man of Mexico cactus is a perfect outdoor plant for landscaping that keeps up with pretty odd conditions throughout the year. This cactus has long, wooly white hairs and can grow slightly over 45 feet tall. Old man cacti bloom at night in mid-spring after reaching a height of about 20 feet. It features pink flowers with a potent yet pleasant scent during the blooming phase. This cactus is hardy in USDA zones 9 and 10. 

In terms of its climate preferences, the old man of Mexico requires a hot, dry climate with lots of sunlight all year long. Its long hairy texture helps the plant stay cool in its natural habitat. If you could provide the right outdoor conditions, your plant will grow large and flower more frequently. If you can't, it would be best to keep the growing medium indoors. You can feed the old man cactus if you're looking to optimize its potential during the blooming phase. 

Dr Earth's 5-5-5 fertilizer tends to be a lot more cactus friendly. Mix the fertilizer and water, then apply it once or twice in the summer. If using an all-purpose plant fertilizer, dilute it to 1/4 its initial strength. You also want to consider using a low-nitrogen water-soluble fertilizer. Growing an old man cactus from seed takes time, but the fulfillment of having to start from scratch, especially for a newbie gardener, is good enough to justify it.

7.Blue Torch Cactus
If you want a fast-growing cactus for your outdoor garden, this is the type to choose. The Blue Torch Cactus is a member of the Pilosocereus genus. The blue torch succulent matures to a large size, with an unordinary shape. This desert species is branched and grows 1 to 2 feet per year. These features make it a must-have in any cacti collection: tall blue trunk, white flowers, golden and orange ribs. 

The cactus gets bluer with age. Blue Torch Cactus gets its name from its mature greyish-blue color, so just you know. Landscapers and gardeners alike love it for the contrast it creates in landscapes, desert gardens, or even containers. Pilosocereus, like all cacti, prefers warm weather. Despite their apparent tolerance for more water than other succulents and cacti in the summer, you want to avoid overwatering it. Their roots rot in stagnant water or poorly drained soil.

8.Prickly Pear Cactus
Prickly pears are a subgroup of Opuntia distinguished by their wide, flat, branching pads. One thing to note is that most varieties have detachable spines and tufts of barbed bristles that can cause severe skin allergies. So they can thrive throughout the growing seasons, prickly pear cacti require dry conditions, well-drained soil, and lots of sunlight. When planting outdoors, choose the sunniest and driest spot. Opuntia is one of the most common cactus genera in the US. 

Over 100  species of this plant have spiny, flat, club-shaped pads. Prickly pear should be planted outside after the danger of frost has passed. Some prickly pears bear edible fruit, but it takes three or four years for a new plant to yield. Like most other cacti types, it's best to grow it in free-draining compost and a warm, sunny location.

Water the compost from spring to autumn while allowing any excess moisture to drain. Don't water for the rest of the year. Consider relocating it to a cooler spot in the winter if your prickly pear is growing inside a container. Wear thick, thorn-proof gloves when handling this cactus.

9.Peanut Cactus
Peanut cactus is a one-foot-tall cylindrical cactus. You can expect it to produce some exquisite vase-shaped blooms between spring and early summer. Peanut cactus thrives in xeriscapes and shallow containers. It's pretty easy to propagate this outdoor cactus from offsets that fall off the mother plant. This cactus has stubby white bristled stems, and the flowers will come in shades of orange or red.

Its unscented flowers open during the day, then close at night. The peanut cactus' fleshy, water-storing stems can withstand drought, and it's overly sensitive to overwatering. Allow the soil to completely dry between the watering intervals, then soak it deeply. Reduce watering during the winter months when the cactus is dormant. Compared to other cacti options available for the garden, the peanut cactus is not a heavy feeder and doesn’t require regular fertilizing. 

 

Fertilizing it once a month during the early growing season scales the chances of posting better results. And if you live in an extremely hot, dry climate, this plant will need some partial shade.  Peanut cactus thrives in rock gardens and pots. When planted in a rock garden, this cactus will quickly spread and take up a lot of space.

10.Totem Pole Catus
The 'Totem Pole Cactus' is a hardy succulent that grows slowly. Few succulents match this slender and elegant cactus' beauty, hardiness, and ease of care. The most striking characteristic is the hair-like sharp grey bristles covering the mature taller stems. It grows well in USDA zones 9–11. 

The plant is a work of art that adds a tasteful touch to any home or garden when grown to full size. The cactus is tall, columnar, and resembles trees or large shrubs with branches that elongate in an unwavering upward position. Wild colonies grow in dry, gravelly soils. You can grow it indoors or outdoors, where its beauty will endure all seasons and weather. 

Use a good cactus mix to plant the totem pole cactus. Soil with a gritty texture like sand or small crushed rock should make a significant percentage when growing it in your garden. Since it doesn't have hornless thorns, the cactus is appropriate for high busy areas such as paths or steps. It's a good companion plant for succulents like euphorbias.

11.Golden Barrel Cactus
The barrel cactus is a low-maintenance plant native to Mexico and the Southwest part of North America. It's also known as the ball cactus in many nurseries and gardening stores. They are nearly round when young and make excellent display plants. Its deeply ribbed lobes are attractive with evenly spaced stacks of spines. 

Easy to grow and care for, the Golden Barrel is suitable for even inexperienced gardeners. This Echinocactus genus is a member of the Cactaceae family. The Golden Barrel Cactus stands out among other plants due to its golden spines. This cactus is hardy and requires little care. Growing this globe-shaped cactus indoors or outdoors will work out fairly well. It's ideal for desert, rock, succulent, or Mediterranean gardens. 

Its distinctive characteristics make the cactus a suitable ornamental plant for your garden. To encourage flowering and a vibrant appearance, the plant needs full sun exposure, as in its natural habitat. After the vegetative stage, most cacti are easy to propagate. Although the fruits' seeds will yield solid results, they take a long time to germinate. Cactus offsets are more commonly used in propagation.

12.Organ Pipe Cactus
The stunning Organ Pipe Cactus is a great garden display plant. It grows in clumps of 6-inch diameter ribbed branches or stems. The Cactus is a long-lived desert native. Choose a location that will accommodate the cactus' eventual size. It can grow to over 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide in the wild. 

Plant it in full sun and sandy or other well-drained soil. When the soil is dry, water sparingly to avoid being too soggy.  Like when  Organ Pipe Cactus can solely depend on rainwater. Provide a shady spot for Organ Pipe Cactus seedlings for a few years until their roots develop. You can choose to make your cactus mix with potting soil, sand, and perlite or buy one from your nearest gardening store. 

Larger cactus plants like the organ pipe can be pruned with a saw. Organ Pipe Cactus, also scientifically known as, Stenocereus thurberi, requires lots of light when it ages. We made sure to include this cactus in our list since it's best grown outdoors rather than indoors.

13.Hedgehog Cactus
The Hedgehog cactus is one of around 70 species of Echinocereus cacti. These cacti are small, rarely exceeding a foot in height. Aside from providing warmth and light, avoiding soggy soil is essential to your plant's care. Overwatering an Echinocereus cactus can kill it. The Echinocereus cacti are easily identified by their short height. Their small size, however, has many advantages. 

In addition to their natural habitat, Engelmann's Hedgehog cacti are frequently used as landscape plants. They gained a reputation for being laid-back and adaptable to almost any situation. The colorful hedgehog cactus varieties produce edible fruits. Flowers bloom from February to May after spring rains. The most common hedgehog cactus flower color is magenta, but other colors include lavender, pink, or purple. 

Like most cacti, they need direct sunlight all year. Young hedgehog cacti prefer light shade, but mature ones prefer the full sun. Direct sunlight helps produce spines. The Engelmann's Hedgehog cacti can withstand extreme heat, but not frost. They will only bloom if given the appropriate winter conditions.