Cactus-like flowers: description and photos of plants from North America, Africa and other continents, names of indoor species, and how to distinguish succulents?

An unusual plant with thorns instead of leaves can be found in almost every house. Many exotic plants are relatives of cacti or are very similar to them, including a huge family of succulents.

It is sometimes difficult for an inexperienced grower to distinguish a cactus from another flower. In the article we will tell you what the plants are called, which look like cacti in their appearance.

Names and photos of plants resembling cacti

Agave

Agave is easy to identify by appearance. Agave has fleshy light green large leaves similar to aloe leaves with small spikes around the edges. Very rarely blooms, the first time in 10-15 years. Can grow up to 12 meters.

Reference! Outwardly, this perennial monocotyledonous plant is similar to a dicotyledonous cactus, but belongs to succulents.

Succulents accumulate moisture in their leaves., and most cactus do not have them, so they accumulate moisture in the stems. The most important distinguishing feature of cacti is the thorns that grow from the areoles.

Agave plant native to North America. Wild representatives of this exotic culture can be found in the desert, but there are many indoor species of this plant. At home, agave has a diverse color and low leaves with a length of not more than 60 cm.

A unique culture does not need special care. It is enough to place your pet in a lighted place, regularly water it and transplant it once a year.

Read more about agave and prickly pear in this material.

Haworthia

Haworthia is a low grassy succulent plant. A South African native has fleshy, stiff leaves that are collected in a round rosette.

All types of haworthia have special, distinctive features:

lack of a stem - foliage grows from a basal rosette;
unsightly uniform flowers and short leaves of no more than 5-10 cm in length.

Haworthia resembles aloe and cactus. All of these crops absorb moisture from the air.

In nature, haworthia grows in arid areas - in deserts and steppes of South Africa.

In countries with a temperate climate, you can grow an exotic culture only at home. Like all succulents, the plant is unpretentious. Southern thermophilic culture prefers shaded places instead of the bright sun.

Heliocereus

Heliocereus is a bushy epiphytic plant native to Mexico. This is one of the most amazing representatives of the cactus family.

Reference! A distinctive feature - the heliocereus has large, fragrant, bright flowers, most often red.

Hanging or erect stem in young plants of a reddish-green hue, and in adults - a dark green color. The heliocereus, like any other cactus, has spines - thin, long, tan.

Daytime heliocereus blooms during daylight hours. A long flowering period made the plant decorative. After flowering, the plant is decorated with fruit, spiky red ovoid.

At home, an unusual representative of cacti needs minimal care - good lighting with protection from direct sunlight, moderate watering during the growing season.

Spurge

For their similarity to a branching cactus, euphorbia is often ranked among these popular plants. On the ribs of a thick trihedral stalk, like most cactus, there are small straight thorns and bright green oval-shaped leaves 3-5 cm.

An important distinguishing feature of milkweed is its high growth rate. If you do not pinch the crown, then an amazing plant can grow to the ceiling.

Attention! All varieties of milkweed contain milky juice with toxic substances!

It is by the presence of milky juice that you can distinguish euphorbia from any other plant. Especially often confuse euphorbia with cactus. These outwardly similar plants differ in flowers and thorns. - in milkweed spikes grow on a smooth surface, and in a cactus in areoles.

This is a very unpretentious crop that is easy to grow. Euphorbia grows remarkably in bright sun and partial shade. In summer days, plentiful watering and top dressing is required a couple of times a month.

A huge number of different types of milkweed is grown at home.

Aloe

Aloe - succulent, fleshy leaves of which are collected in basal and apical rosettes with sharp teeth along the edge.

Aloe is often confused with a cactus, but these plants belong to different families with one major difference - aloe stores moisture in the leaves, and the cactus in the stem.

Cactus spines are mutated leaves, and scarlet spines are sharp outgrowths on the leaves. The homeland of these cultures is also different - cacti come from the deserts of America, Mexico, Cuba, and aloes come from South Africa.

Aloe loves light and warmth, needs watering once a week. Very unpretentious creation. In nature, grows up to three meters in height. It is very simple to grow agave at home. The most popular indoor plant species:

Vera;
tree-like;
spinous.

Gasteria

Another nice representative of succulents, a native of the deserts of South Africa, who is often confused with cactus, is Gasteria. The fleshy, lapid leaves of this plant are pointed or rounded. Gasteria flowers due to fused petals look like bells.

This is a medium-sized, slowly growing succulent.

Attention! Confusing this plant with others is almost impossible during its flowering. In Gasteria, the petals grow together only to half - the upper part is slightly bent.

Unpretentious and cute succulent perfectly grown indoors and ideal even for beginner growers. The plant needs light and a minimum of moisture.

Stapelia

Originally from Southwest and South Africa, this perennial stunted succulent has tetrahedral fleshy shoots.

Stapelia is constantly confused with a cactus. The main similarity is the sharp teeth located on the sides of the stems. This type of succulent differs from its counterparts in a delightful original flowering. Stapelia flowers are pubescent stars that are formed on bent pedicels at the base of the shoots. A characteristic feature of all slipways is a rich and very bright, cold color of greenery.

Reference! The beauty of stapelia has a very unpleasant smell.

Despite the specific aroma, the plant is a very popular indoor crop. Caring for an unusual resident is simple. The main thing is to place the flower pot in a well-lit place. Watering is rare, but plentiful.

Echeveria

The heat-loving echeveria native to Mexico is often called the "stone rose." This is a perennial, the oval leaves of which are collected in a beautiful rosette, very reminiscent of a rose. The plant has a bluish-blue color. The sheet length is approximately 15 centimeters, and the width of the sheet can grow up to 25 centimeters. In the summer, Echeveria can form small flowers resembling bells - this is what distinguishes the plant from others.

Echeveria does not belong to the cactus family. Although both are juicy fleshy plants. Sometimes the "stone rose" is confused with another similar plant - young growth. Frost-resistant youngsters can be grown in open ground on alpine hills, and echeveria does not tolerate subzero temperatures.

Perennials can often be found on window sills or greenhouse gardens.. The unpretentious "stone rose" grows well at home and does not cause trouble to its owners. The main thing is to provide her with a bright light and not to overdo it with watering.

Sansevier

Sansevier is a succulent belonging to the Agave family. For stiff, striped and long leaves, the plant was popularly called "pike tail" and "mother tongue".

Attention! Sansevier is a leader among domestic plants in the production of oxygen and the absorption of harmful substances from the air.

Pike Tail Popular in Home Floriculture due to the beautiful leaves collected in the outlet. Leaves can be of different shapes and colors. Most often grow vertically upward, but can grow parallel to the ground.

Sansevier is very unpretentious. Like most cacti, you can not water it for a long time, not transplant it, and not loosen it. At home, Sansevier almost does not bloom.

Guernia

Guernia - Succulent, African. About 60-70 species of this culture are known. The closest relative of this family is Stapelia.

Guernia has a grassy, juicy stem with a different number of faces. Variegated star-shaped flowers have a pungent and unpleasant odor for many.

Reference! Guernia hairy has a special external resemblance to a cactus. Its thick, shortened stems are covered with long teeth.

Guernia blooms for a long time and is very beautiful. At home, culture is recommended to be placed in bright places and rarely watered. The difference between guernia and other plants is important - it is rarely attacked by pests.

Distinctive features of cactus

The difference between cacti and any other plants is already visible at the level of their seedlings. They have a sub-cotyledon juicy ring and highly reduced cotyledons.

The presence of modified axillary buds, areoles that resemble small pillows is the main distinguishing feature of cacti. This is clear evidence that the plant accumulates moisture by the stem, not by foliage. Lateral shoots and flowers of cacti are formed from areoles. After flowering, fruits are formed. Depending on the type of cactus, from the areola can grow up to hundreds of thorns.

Many plants resemble cacti. We considered only part of the most similar flowers that can be grown at home and enjoy their exotic look.