Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Metaphorically of course, unless Cupid’s trying out new archery tricks. If you’re anything like us, you’re still trying to find that perfect gift for your valentine. Sure, you could pick up roses. That’s the flower of love, after all, and the typical heart-day “surprise”. Though, if you really want to give the special someone in your life a plant that’ll stab them, we suggest getting your valentine a cactus.
Okay, we admit we may be a little biassed.
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 a bag of cinnamon hearts.
However, a gift that’ll stick around proclaiming the proof of your affection for years to come?
That’s definitely romantic.
Cacti symbolise endurance, tenacity and strength. They survive in the most impossible conditions (desert, anyone?). Which is why, when you give someone a cactus, you’re telling them that they’re strong. That they will make it through.
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 enough, 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 biassed 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 this Valentine’s Day.
There you have it, our 3 reasons cacti make great gifts on Valentine’s Day (and really, at any time). If you’re not 100% sold on the idea of giving your loved one a living thing, then take a look at our Clever Cactus downloads. These make great little gifts for anyone who loves planning… or wants to start getting organised.