Cacti vary tremendously in size, color, shape and flowering habit. There may be one to two thousand different species of cacti. Most cacti live in desert habitats, but some types can also be found in jungles. Most cacti are native to the Americas. They may grow as upright columns, as spreading clumps, limited only by the size of their container, as hanging baskets or as thorny ornamental balls.
Most cacti grow slowly to moderately as houseplants, usually only a few inches a year.
They can live for many years. The stem is fleshy or succulent. These features allow the plant to withstand periods of drought, a common occurrence in the habitats where cacti grow. Cacti exhibit beauty in their symmetry of form as well as in their brightly colored flowers. In the home, plant diseases are rarely a problem.