Cactus

[lizj97]

I love cactus but when I moved to Florida years ago and tried to plant my cactus outside he died in a few days. I was heartbroken to say the least. Can you grow cacti in Florida? I mean I know I can get houseplants because I did that before but I would love a small cactus garden outside. Thanks for any thoughts or if it is impossible let me know that too.

Liz

 

[blueiris]

Yes, you can grow cactus in Florida. I live near Gainesville, Florida and we have a botanical garden nearby with a lovely large outdoor Cactus Garden and I love catching it in bloom! They have quite a variety growing there, so I know you should be able to do it. I've noticed it sits on a bed of sandy soil, with pebbles and rocks as far as I can tell.

I don't have a cactus myself, unless succulents like aloe vera or jade plants count. Someone gave me a Century Plant which might be a cactus - I see thorns on it. It's in a pot and I know they get very big so I can't decide where to plant it. I haven't even watered it once in a year and it's thriving in a 3 gallon pot with very little soil. Sorry, I am not very knowledgeable about the differences between cacti and succulents.

 

[maddie]

Cactus can be grown anywhere provided you give it well drained soil and less water.. Watering once a week or only after the soil feels dry when you touch it would help. I love cactus as they are easy to maintain.

 

[H_Bachman]

Like any other plants, cacti may need to be acclimated gradually to new temperatures.

Was your cactus that died previously an indoor cactus? The sudden change may have been what killed it. There's no reason you can't grow cactus in Florida. Try starting your cactus garden by getting cacti that had been grown outside at the nursery, or acclimate them slowly to the outdoors before planting them outside by slowly increasing the time they're left out in the sun each day.

 

[GatorGardener]

My mom is active in our local garden club and got a list of Florida friendly succulents. I'll list them for you!
Agaves
Aloes
Aloe "ink blush" or "white fox"
Blue senescio
Doreanthus "Mezoo"
Dyckia "grape jelly" or "cherry coke"
Echeveria "pearl von neuremburg" or "topsy turvy"
Firesticks pencil plant
Flapjacks Plant
Ghost plant
Starfish Flower

I haven't looked into any of these but do want to get some, as the succulents I have now are doing great. I have some century plants too that require minimal care.

 

[ACSAPA]

Whoa, that Firesticks Pencil Plant is really cool looking.

The Starfish Flower is weirdly beautiful too.

 

[Trellum]

I believe it is possible, after all my cousin has several cacti outside her property. Not sure where you live tho, maybe you live in a very humid area or too close to the sea, cacti do well when the weather is dry and hot.

 

[claudine]

Whoa, that Firesticks Pencil Plant is really cool looking.

The Starfish Flower is weirdly beautiful too.

These plants are so amazing! They look like something that could grow at the bottom of the ocean. They're beautiful in a very unique way.

lizj97, I'm sure you can grow cacti in Florida. Don't give up Some plants don't survive a transplant, it's no one's fault.

 

[Danyel72]

My mom is active in our local garden club and got a list of Florida friendly succulents. I'll list them for you!
Agaves
Aloes
Aloe "ink blush" or "white fox"
Blue senescio
Doreanthus "Mezoo"
Dyckia "grape jelly" or "cherry coke"
Echeveria "pearl von neuremburg" or "topsy turvy"
Firesticks pencil plant
Flapjacks Plant
Ghost plant
Starfish Flower

I haven't looked into any of these but do want to get some, as the succulents I have now are doing great. I have some century plants too that require minimal care.

Thank you so much for all this great information. I grew up in the north and have lived in Florida for about 10 years. I love my gardens and just recently been wanting to add a cactus or two and really wasn't sure where to start. I do have an aloe plant which is thriving! I'm so happy about that. I actually started it on my back lanai for a month or two to get it used to the heat and then transplanted into my garden. It looks so beautiful and is growing so fast. Heading to the nursery this week with this list.

Thank you again!

 

[gata montes]

Although there are plenty of cactus and succulent plant varieties that can easily be grown as outdoors in Florida.

If you are wanting a real eye catcher - there are two night flowering Cactus varieties that are well worth considering - as both are truly spectacular and almost identical to each other - in that both - " Hylocereus Undatus " also known as " The Dragon Fruit Cactus " and " Selenicereus Grandiflorus " otherwise known as " The Queen of the Night Cactus " - have the most enormous fragrant. luminous blooms - which look absolutely magnificent at night and are thorn-less vine like cactus - that can be trained to grow in a variety of different ways

like for instance around the trunk of tree

as a hanging plant

or as a small tree

or as hedge

 

[Danyel72]

Although there are plenty of cactus and succulent plant varieties that can easily be grown as outdoors in Florida.

If you are wanting a real eye catcher - there are two night flowering Cactus varieties that are well worth considering - as both are truly spectacular and almost identical to each other - in that both - " Hylocereus Undatus " also known as " The Dragon Fruit Cactus " and " Selenicereus Grandiflorus " otherwise known as " The Queen of the Night Cactus " - have the most enormous fragrant. luminous blooms - which look absolutely magnificent at night and are thorn-less vine like cactus - that can be trained to grow in a variety of different ways

like for instance around the trunk of tree

View attachment 3588

as a hanging plant

View attachment 3589

or as a small tree

View attachment 3592

or as hedge

View attachment 3593

View attachment 3590

Those are absolutely breath taking !!!! I've never seen a cactus like that before. Those are the reasons I LOVE it!! I am always looking for something different and that is it. We have many trees in our backyard so it will be perfect. I will be doing some more research on that and will be taking the name with me to the nursery. Thank you for your post and for the wonderful pictures as well. I'm excited!

Thank you again
Danyel

 

[gata montes]

Those are absolutely breath taking !!!! I've never seen a cactus like that before. Those are the reasons I LOVE it!! I am always looking for something different and that is it. We have many trees in our backyard so it will be perfect. I will be doing some more research on that and will be taking the name with me to the nursery. Thank you for your post and for the wonderful pictures as well. I'm excited!

Thank you again
Danyel

My pleasure and as you already know that I think these plants are magnificent too - I really hope - especially as I know that they are both grown and sold where you live - that you successfully manage to locate a night flowering cactus when you visit the nursery - particularly as you are planning to grow it amongst your trees - which I have say - would look absolutely stunning and especially so at night

 

[helagumamela]

Those cacti are really beautiful especially the starfish flower! We have two kinds of cacti here, but I don't know what they are called. One is the normal cactus that you see in deserts. The other is the flowering one that I posted a few weeks ago.

I hope that you manage to grow one!

 

[evelynmcgregor]

gata montes,,, the pictures of your blooming catus are so beautiful. I had a night blooming cirus many years ago and when it bloomed it was so beautiful. I would actually sit up all night watching the blooms open. I love cactus and the many different flowers they have. I now live in North Alabama and the only cactus that seems to survive our winters here is the prickly pear cactus.

 

[leahlane]

I'm loving all of the photos in this thread! As someone else mentioned, it might have been the temperature change that killed your poor cactus. I've owned a couple in the past and they have been a little tricky to take care of. These photos are making me want to get a new one soon.