The holidays are right around the corner. If you’re anything like us, you’re still trying to find that perfect gift for your friends and family. Surprise them with a plant that’ll stab them!
So here are 3 reasons why cacti make great gifts.
(We have 100 other reasons too, but figured we’d keep today’s blog short and sweet, so you can get shopping).
#1 Cacti are long-lasting
Chocolates, candies, roses (or any other cut flower) – these all have relatively short shelf lives. Sure, some people prefer short-lived gifts. You can’t really go wrong with a box of chocolates or some candy canes.
However, a gift that’ll stick around, giving frequent poke-like reminders that you care? That’s definitely memorable.
Cacti symbolise endurance, tenacity and strength. They survive in the most impossible conditions, which is why, when you give someone a cactus, you’re telling them that they’re strong. That they will make it through whatever they face.
It’s also a way to tell them that your love will endure.
In fact, in Native American cultures, cacti represent warmth, protection, and (motherly) love. Many cacti have medicinal properties; the pulp and juice was used to treat wounds and illness.
So giving someone a cactus is kind of like saying, “hey, I love you!”
#2 Cacti are low maintenance
Pets, potted flowers, and other living gifts typical to the holidays all come with a “secondary gift” of “responsibility”. Not sure about you, but we’re not huge fans of having more responsibilities each day.
Cacti, however, don’t need a lot of care to survive.
Give them a good watering once or twice a month, set them out in the sunshine, and they’ll thrive. If you’re not sure if your home is sunny or warm enough for a cactus, never fear! Not all cacti prefer direct sunlight.
When picking your gift cactus, research the species to see what type of environment it prefers. For example, the Small flower Fishhook Cactus loves sitting out in the sun and can handle colder temperatures; whereas the Moon Cactus prefers bright spaces lit by indirect sunlight and prefers summer all year long.
You can start your research with our Clever Cactus of the Month blogs.
#3 Cacti are beautiful
Again, we’re likely biased here (beauty IS in the eye of the beholder and all that); just know that when we say cacti are beautiful, we mean it.
Cacti come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. From gorgeous Christmas cacti, with their lovely orchid-like flowers, to the Blue Columnar’s unique azure colour, there will certainly be a cactus that appeals to your eye. There are so many, it’ll take years to feature them all in our Clever Cactus of the Month blogs!!
Here’s a list of 10 Great Types of Cactus to Gift from A Subtle Revelry that we think has some great suggestions.
It’s also interesting to note that, in Japan, giving someone a flowering cactus means you’re attracted to them! This is part of the ancient art, Hanakotoba, which is all about assigning meaning to flowers. Cacti flowers are associated with lust, so use them wisely.