Decorating with Cactus

Looking for some greenery you can adopt to decorate your home, but you have no green thumb? Don’t worry, there is a cactus plant out there waiting to be taken care of by people like you. Cactus is one of the most favorite plants of interior decorators because they are charming and versatile. Here are some more reasons why it’s great to embrace cactus (not literally) for your interior:

  1. Cacti are not hard to maintain– it’s actually difficult to kill. Even when you neglect them, they can survive. Their skin is thick and hard, which allows them to prevent water loss. Speaking of water, indoor cacti only needs to be watered once a month or every other week when in a location more exposed to the sun. No need to worry about your plants when taking a vacation out of town.
  2. Their unusual shapes and texture give them the visual appearance of sculptures. Cacti serves as greenery and work of art at the same time!
  3. Cactus works with a lot of interior design styles and color palette. Whether your home is modern, rustic, coastal, bohemian, Scandinavian, mid-century or traditional, cacti will suit them. You can pair them with bold or neutral color schemes, monochromatic or colorful, or even metallics.
  4. They look great as a standalone plant. One cactus plant on a pot in a room works. They don’t need to be paired up with another plant to be charming. But they also look cute when grouped together in a cluster, especially if you choose little cactus plants.

There are so many unique ways on how to display cactus plants in your home. Here are some examples:

1. Elevate them in plant stands.

If you have medium-sized cacti, plant them on pastel-colored or white pots and put them above plant stands. If you have unused stools, use them as plant stands. Your cactus plants will be sitting pretty on the high chair while creating a cool retro look! Pair them with a tall cactus plant that doesn’t need elevation for some variation.

2. Create an arrangement.

Get a large bowl, fill it with wood chips and plant an assortment of mini cacti. It’s the perfect centerpiece to your coffee table or decor for your hallway table. Choose a metallic bowl, like copper or gold to make the plants shine!

3. Place them on top of furniture.

A group of cacti can liven up undecorated furniture. A low dresser or a side table are perfect places to turn into a little area full of plants. Put different kinds and different sizes of cacti in assorted vases and place them on top of your furniture. To make them pop, get creative with your pots. Spray paint them in metallic paint. Paint a pattern or theme. Wrap them in textured materials like sisal ropes. It all depends on the style of your interior design.

4. Place them in shelves.

Got an awesome, decorative shelving system that houses books and display items? Why not fill one or two compartments with mini cactus plants! Display both living and non-living things in your open shelves to keep the walls looking interesting.

5. Play with different colors and species of cacti.

Since cacti come in various shapes, sizes, height and appearance of spikes, do you know that they also come in various colors too? There is red and yellow cactus, some even come in a bluish hue. There are also flowering cactus plants as well. Combine them with the usual green ones and create an arrangement of them on a bowl or on a vertical garden. The result will be a burst of colors on your center table or on your kitchen counter.

6. Position them on your stairs.

Prettify your staircase by positioning a line of little cactus plants on each step. Pick out different species of small cactus plants and put them in mini pots. Choose assorted pots for an eclectic vibe, or select identical pots for a uniform look. However, this idea is only ideal for an all-adult home. Kids might play with them and end up hurting themselves or creating a mess.

7. Repurpose old cups and mugs and plant cacti on them.

A dull kitchen or dining room wall would look cooler and brighter with a shelf surrounded by cups and cacti. Make your old cups, mugs, and saucers useful again by planting small cacti on them. Then, make a shelf especially for them. Keep the shelf neutral colored, preferably white, if your cups are assorted. Leave the highlight of the décor focused on the green of the plants and the tasteful reuse of the cups.

8. Place them in pots with faces.

Look for those quirky little-handcrafted pots designed with faces. These quirky items can make cactus plants look like totally rad hairstyles when planted on them! These would surely make a fun addition to your home.

9. Put them under bell jars or terrariums.

If you want children and guests to keep their wandering hands from touching your plant, try displaying your cactus under bell jars or inside terrariums. This is a triple win situation: no one would get accidentally hurt and prickled by your plant, you can keep the cacti protected and unharmed, and the plants would feel like they’re precious figurines on display!

10. Plant them in sacks or baskets.

Plants don’t always have to be placed in pots. There are fabric plant sacks and old woven baskets that can double up as pots. You may create designs on them using paint or leave them as it is, depending on the theme of your interior.

Cactus Care Tips

Before you incorporate cactus in your interior, here are some tips for growing and taking care of them:

  1. Put your cactus in the sunniest spot in your home. It’s a common practice for cactus growers to place them on a windowsill. When placing them on walls or tables, make sure the area is near a window and receives a lot of natural light.
  2. When choosing a container for growing them, make sure there are drainage holes.
  3. Cactus need very little water. Like we said earlier, you don’t have to water them daily or even weekly; watering them monthly or once every two weeks will do. When it is completely dried out or if it weighs lighter than usual, that’s the only time you need to water your indoor cactus.
  4. Because you only need to water them sparingly, avoid the temptation of pouring them a lot of water. Overwatering might actually kill them.
  5. For indoor cactus plants, it’s best to use commercially available cacti soil mix. Using your regular garden soil and sand combo might bring pathogens, bacteria, and pests inside your home.
  6. Be careful not to prick your fingers every time you are handling cactus plants. Always wear gardening gloves before working with them.