10 Best American Cactus Plants for Hot Gardens to Buy

By Calin Oancea and Dr. Helga George

8/15/20246 min read

In this actionable article with real world experience, we'll reveal to you the most interesting traditional and ntive American Cactus plants, also including their needs so that you can grow them in your garden, uses, and the experiences we've had with them.

To sum it up, these are the 5 best American Cacti:

  1. Saguaro Cactus

  2. Barrel Cactus

  3. Hedgehog Cactus

  4. Organ Pipe Cactus

  5. Queen of the Night

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a lot of thin cacti in America
a lot of thin cacti in America
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one tall Saguaro Cactus in the middle the American Arizona desert
one tall Saguaro Cactus in the middle the American Arizona desert
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Saguaro Cactus

  • Height: 12-18 m (40-60 ft)

  • Color Varieties: White flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

After growing it, we found that the Saguaro cactus thrives with minimal watering and can become an amazing tall cactus plant in any garden. Its height and iconic arms make it a must-have for your hot green space.

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a bunch of American Prickly Pear Cacti with tiny spines
a bunch of American Prickly Pear Cacti with tiny spines

Opuntia

  • Height: 1-2 m (3-6 ft)

  • Color Varieties: Yellow, red, purple flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Prickly Pear Cactus or Opuntia is a versatile and hardy plant with yummy fruits. After planting it, we saw that its colorful flowers and edible pads make it both attractive and functional. It’s also incredibly drought-tolerant.

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two round American Barrel Cacti with white spines
two round American Barrel Cacti with white spines

Barrel Cactus

  • Height: 0.6-1.2 m (2-4 ft)

  • Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, red flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, sandy soil

Barrel cacti are perfect for adding texture to your garden. We experienced that they require very little maintenance and their bright flowers add a splash of color during the blooming season, but they fit also amazingly into hot front yards for landscaping with cacti.

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an American Cholla Cactus with yellow leaves
an American Cholla Cactus with yellow leaves

Cylindropuntia

  • Height: 1-3 m (3-10 ft)

  • Color Varieties: Yellow, pink, purple flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, rocky soil

Cholla cactus, with its striking spiny branches, can create a dramatic focal point. After planting, we noticed it thrives in well-drained, rocky soil and provides an interesting element to the garden with its flowers that love full sun.

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Hedgehog Cactus

  • Height: 15-60 cm (6-24 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, red, yellow flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, sandy soil

The Hedgehog cactus is a colorful, compact, and Japanese-like cactus. After growing it, we found that its vibrant blooms and manageable size make the low-maintenance maintenance cactus plant ideal for small spaces and rock gardens.

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an American Fishhook Cactus with spiny thorns
an American Fishhook Cactus with spiny thorns

Fishhook Cactus

  • Height: 5-20 cm (2-8 in)

  • Color Varieties: Pink, white, yellow flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Fishhook cactus, named for its hooked spines, is a charming addition to any tiny cactus collection. We saw that it does well in pots and garden beds alike, adding delicate beauty with its small, colorful American flowers.

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an American Queen of the Night plant in the evening
an American Queen of the Night plant in the evening

Queen of the Night

  • Height: 1-2 m (3-6 ft)

  • Color Varieties: White flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Partial to full sun, well-drained soil

Queen of the Night, scientifically known as (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is a unique cactus with stunning white, night-blooming flowers. We observed that it grows best in well-drained soil and adds a really unique touch to your garden, even in shade.

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a tall Organ Pipe Cactus
a tall Organ Pipe Cactus

Organ Pipe Cactus

  • Height: 4-6 m (13-20 ft)

  • Color Varieties: White flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, rocky soil

Organ Pipe cactus has tall, columnar stems that resemble organ pipes. We found that it grows well in rocky, well-drained soil and its night-blooming cactus flowers attract pollinators like bats.

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Totem Pole Cactus

  • Height: 3-4.5 m (10-15 ft)

  • Color Varieties: Rarely flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Totem Pole cactus is known for its smooth, spineless stems that look like an African cactus, but also as being a great cactus for indoor spaces. We observed that it thrives in hot, dry conditions, and its unusual form adds a nice touch to indoors but also landscapes, as it can grow taller than a human.

an American Totem Pole Cactus indoors
an American Totem Pole Cactus indoors
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three Blue Flame Cacti growing together in a pod
three Blue Flame Cacti growing together in a pod

Blue Flame Cactus

  • Height: 4-5 m (13-16 ft)

  • Color Varieties: White flowers

  • Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil

Blue Flame cactus is admired for its blue-green color and tall, columnar growth. We found that it thrives in full sun and adds a striking vertical element to the garden.

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Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, and other fact-dense and highly trusted sources to support the facts that we use in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. 

  1. Saguaro: Saguaro - Wikipedia

  2. Barrel Cactus: Barrel Cactus (usda.gov)

  3. Opuntia: Opuntia - Wikipedia

  4. Hedgehog Cactus: Hedgehog cactus | Britannica

  5. Fishhook cactus: Fishhook cactus - Wikipedia

  6. Organ-pipe cactus: Organ-pipe cactus | Britannica

  7. Epiphyllum oxypetalum: Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Wikipedia

  8. Totem Pole Cactus: Totem Pole Cactus (thespruce.com)

  9. More information on American cacti: Use Cacti for Landscaping (lawnstarter.com), Cacti of North America - Wikipedia, Cactus - Wikipedia, Cacti and succulents | UMN Extension, Growing Cactus (tamu.edu)

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
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Article By:

Calin has been in the garden industry for 5 years and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He is the founder of this website and is responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Helga has been fascinated with plants since childhood and is an avid gardening specialist who grows various plants. She has reviewed and fact-checked multiple articles on this website.