Cacti are plants that have an exotic look and unpretentious care, which is why they are now one of the most popular indoor plants. Types of home blooming cacti combined by the absence of leaves and the presence of a thick large stalk. Despite this, many different species of these plants have their own characteristics that distinguish them from others.
Astrophytum
The name of this type of cacti is taken from Greek and means “plant-star” in translation, because if you look at it from above, this cactus looks like a star with rays. 
This species is distinguished by a variety of subspecies: some of them are without needles, and some can boast of rather long curly needles; some grow pretty quickly, while others need a lot of time to grow at least a couple of centimeters.
Stem: strong, spherical, elongated.
Flowers: wide open, white or yellowish. Blossom at a young age.
Flowering period: 2-3 days in spring and summer.
Maintenance and care: require good lighting, normally carry and direct sunlight, but prefer diffused light. Hardy in hot weather, feel comfortable in rooms where the temperature does not exceed +28 ° C.
During the rest, it is better to keep such cacti at a temperature of + 10 ... + 12 ° С. Do not need additional manipulations to humidify the air. During the growing season, astrophitumas should be watered rarely (after the ground is completely dry) and so that the soil is completely soaked with water. 
It is better to carry out the lower watering so that the water does not fall on the plant itself. In autumn and winter, if you keep such cacti at low temperatures, you do not need to water them.
Cacti also include hatiora, epiphyllum, ripsalis, echinocactus Gruzoni, hymnocalicium, Decembrist flower, Opuntia.
Aporocactus
These unusual cacti were brought to us from Mexico and from the mighty thickets on the mountain slopes they successfully turned into popular home plants.
Stem: branched into many thin stems, whose length can reach one meter. The ribs on these stems are not very pronounced, the spines are bristle. First, the stalks grow up, then descend.
Flowers: tubular, their length - about 10 cm, color - pink, crimson, orange, red (depending on the specific type).
Flowering period: may bloom throughout the spring. 
Maintenance and care: For aporocactus, the best option is a bright light without direct rays (it can get burned). Good lighting is especially important in the dormant period, since it is from the light that the budding of the buds and the abundant flowering in the future depend.
In spring and summer, this plant can be put on the terrace, where there is open air, but there is no direct sunlight. At such a time, the optimal temperature for aporocactus is + 20… + 25 ° С. In winter, a bright, cool place will be a suitable place for a plant.
Aporocactus normally tolerate drought, but in the summer it is better to spray them with warm water. In the warm season, watering such a pot should be regularly, not allowing the soil to dry completely. Watering should be the bottom, you can not give the water in the pan to stagnate.
In winter, it is necessary to water less frequently, waiting until the ground is completely dry. 
Mummily
This type of cacti boasts the presence of a huge number of varieties and variations. Plants of the mammillaria genus are small, they can take on different shapes and colors. This genus is the most numerous in the cacti family.
Stem: spherical or cylindrical. On a stalk conical soft nipples are located in even rows. Spines - bristle, soft, thin.
Did you know? The largest home collection of cacti in the CIS countries on the roof of his mansion gathered Ukrainian. It has more than 20 thousand plants. The total cost of the collection exceeds several tens of thousands of dollars.Flowers: small (diameter - up to 2 cm), diurnal. Color - pink, yellow, white, cream, pink-white. When such a cactus blooms, a “crown” of flowers forms on top of the stem.
Flowering period: mammillaria is considered rarely flowering. As a rule, flowers appear in early spring.Maintenance and care: these cacti are very fond of light, but which one depends on how trimmed the plant is. In contrast to the neubushnyh, which do not tolerate direct sunlight, the pubescent cacti need to receive a large amount of direct light.
Well-lit areas also like begonia, syngonium, daylily, stonecrop, alstroemeria, pedilanthus, streptocarpus, leukantemum nivyanik, cordilina, caladium, fuchsia.In summer, a suitable temperature is about +25 ° С, in winter - + 10 ... +12 ° С for green species and +15 ° С for pubescent. In very hot time the plant can be sprayed. Like other cactus, mammillaries do not like when the soil is over-humidified, so watering such a pot should be infrequent.
In winter, when the plant is kept in a cool room, it is not necessary to water at all. 
Rebution
This cactus is one of the most common plants in the world and a very popular indoor plant, which every year attracts more and more growers.
Stem: These flowering indoor cacti have a rounded fleshy stem with a hollow on the top, covered with spiral ribs and short, hard spines of silver or yellowish color.
Flowers: day, have elongated tubes of glossy petals that have grown together, and the diameter is about 2.5 cm. The flowers can be cream, pink, purple or scarlet.
Flowering period: about two days in april-june.
Maintenance and care: they are not afraid of direct sunlight when the room where the cactus is located is well ventilated, they feel comfortable at temperatures from +5 ° C to +25 ° C and are well adapted to sudden changes in temperature. Watering is rarely necessary, waiting until the soil dries well. 
Cereus
The name of this variety of cacti in Latin sounds like "Cereus", and in translation means "wax candle". Such cacti are long-lived in the plant world. Under natural conditions, the cereus is a giant plant that can grow up to 20 meters in height. For home cultivation, however, choose more compact subspecies of Cereus.
Stem: rough with pronounced ribs. Depending on the subspecies, it can be smooth or covered with sharp long needles.
Flowers: large white, located laterally. Some subspecies can boast a pleasant aroma of vanilla.
Important! “Pampering” a cactus (too spacious a pot, too frequent watering and fertilizer) can cause the lack of flowering.Flowering period: the end of spring - the beginning of the summer period, at night. Bloom 24 hours after opening.
Maintenance and care: in order for such a pot to feel comfortable at home and bloom, he needs a good light and a long light day. These plants love direct sunlight, but in the summer they should be protected from burns.In order for direct light not to harm the plant in spring or summer, it is necessary to accustom the cereus to it immediately after the end of winter. As for the temperature, in winter, when the cactus has a rest period, the optimum temperature for it is + 8 ... + 12 ° С.
At any other time, the cereus is unpretentious, quietly transfers heat and sudden changes in temperature.
It is necessary to water with warm water, in the summer - more often, further reduce the frequency of irrigation. You can not overmoisten the plant: it can get sick and rot. 
Ripsalis
"Rhips" is a word from which the name of this species resembles, translated from Greek means "weave", which very accurately describes the appearance of this plant.
Stem: may be different: ribbed, rounded, flattened. As a rule, the stalk is not one, but from one pot grows many climbing dangling stalks without thorns, which is the main difference of this species from the others.
Flowers: small, delicate, like bells of pink, white, yellow or bright red.
Flowering period: a few days in spring and summer. 
Maintenance and care: Representatives of this type of cacti prefer bright diffused light and can grow in the shade. In summer, you can place a pot with a plant on the veranda or in the courtyard, but so that direct rays do not fall on it.
For this type of cacti, a comfortable temperature in the spring and summer is + 18 ... +20 ° С, in winter - + 12 ... + 16 ° С. Such cacti are not sensitive to air humidity, but in the summer they need to be sprayed with warm infused water.
During the vegetative period, the plant should be watered regularly when the topsoil dries, in the fall it is worth reducing the watering and in the winter it is very rare to water it.
Echinopsis
Echinopsis is not different from most species of flowering cacti, which received their names due to external signs. "Echinos" in Greek means "hedgehog", and this name is perfectly suited to all members of this species. 
Stem: at first it has a spherical shape, then it is drawn out and takes the form of a cylinder. Color can be both bright green and dark. The ribs are smooth, pronounced brightly. The size and density of spines differs depending on the specific subspecies.
Flowers: large (diameter - about 14 cm) funnel-shaped pink, white, yellow or orange, grow on a pubescent tube, the length of which can reach 20 cm.
Flowering period: 1-3 days in spring.
Maintenance and care: like a bright light, normally tolerate direct sunlight. Comfortable temperature in summer is from +22 ° С to +27 ° С, in winter - from +6 ° С to +12 ° С. Spring and summer should be watered a few days after the soil under the plant dries out completely. During the period of rest (in winter) it is possible not to water it at all or to do it very rarely. Do not need spraying even in summer. 
Epiphyllum
Epiphyllums are cacti with a shrub growth and woody base.
The shrub form of growth can also boast wisteria, spirea, airchrizone, cercis, mountain pine, dieffenbachia, bladder, aster, and silverweed.The name of the species consists of two Greek words: "epi" - "above" and "phyllum" - "sheet." This plant for its extraordinary beauty unofficially called "orchid cactus".
Stem: leaf-shaped, fleshy, with notches.
Flowers: appear on modified stems - cactus leaves. Voronkovidnye, rather large size, have a long tube and a pleasant aroma. Color: white, cream, yellow, pink, red.
Flowering period: spring, the flower disappears after 5 days after blooming.
Important! It is impossible to change the location of the plant when the buds begin to appear, since they may fall off and the pot will not bloom.Maintenance and care: Epiphyllum is useful to get a large amount of diffused light. In summer, you can take the flower to the street, but place it where direct rays of sunlight will not fall on it.
The optimum temperature in spring and summer can vary from +20 ° C to +26 ° C. When the plant has a dormant period, the comfortable temperature is from +10 ° C to +15 ° C. On hot summer days it is recommended to spray it with warm water.Since epiphyllum is a type of cacti of wet forests, it needs watering much more frequently than those of cacti that originate from arid areas.
To water it, it is not necessary to wait until the soil in the pot is completely dry, it is necessary that it is always wet, and only the top layer dries out. At a time when the cactus blooms, it can be fertilized.
Notocactus
The name of this type of cacti in Greek means "southern cactus", since it is in this part of the globe that they appeared. 
Stem: spherical or wedge-shaped with well pronounced ribs and a large number of spines.
Flowers: may be of different sizes, depending on the type. The color is usually yellow or yellow-purple.
Flowering period: Spring or summer, depending on the subspecies, the flower may keep open more than 5 days.
Maintenance and care: needs bright ambient lighting. The temperature during the growing season is up to +26 ° С, in winter - not lower than +10 ° С. Water the plant must be abundant from March to September and moderately from October to March. Do not allow complete drying of the soil. At the same time, it is not good if it is too wet. 
Echinocactus
It is also called the hedgehog cactus.
In height, this plant can grow up to 3 meters in diameter - up to 1.5 meters. Echinocactus are very popular among gardeners, although they rarely bloom (they begin to bloom only at the age of 20). The flesh of plants of this species is 80% water.
Did you know? There are echinocactus whose weight exceeds 1 ton. Such plants in comfortable climatic conditions can live more than 500 years.Stem: spherical with pronounced ribs and sharp needles.
Flowers: pink, yellow or red. They have a straw, thin petals and a rather large size. 
Flowering period: spring-summer, a few days.
Maintenance and care: without a sufficient amount of diffused sunlight, it is impossible to achieve flowering of echinocactus. It is also important to maintain the correct temperature: in summer - about +24 ° С, in cold time - +12 ° С.
Watering such a plant can be carried out with the same dynamics as other cacti from southern countries; in summer, echinocactus can be sprayed.
Cacti of various kinds are gaining more and more popularity among both experienced and novice gardeners. They are unpretentious in the care and come in a variety of shapes and colors, so everyone can choose their own "perfect" cactus.
