Desert Cactus

We can name the following desert cactus species: Ariocarpus, Carnegiea, Cephalocereus, Echinocactus, Ferocactus, Opuntia, and some others.

When we hear the word ‘desert’ we usually imagine the Sahara with its scorching sand-dunes devoid of any vegetation. But the soil of stony deserts in Central and South America is very rich in all the necessary salts for cacti.

But if rains are extremely rare here, where does the water come from? The answer is there are plentiful dews, falling at night.

Many cacti have tap roots that are capable of storing water within. These tap roots contract during periods of drought and thus pull the cacti down low within the soil and protect them from exposure to the suns blistering heat to prevent dehydration.

Desert cactus types are not afraid of the burning sun.

For their correct development desert types of cactus require much sun, and careful watering. They can easily die because of water stagnation in the ground even during summer heat.