Cactus Gardening

One way that a cactus excretes wastes is through its breathing pores, or stomata. Guard cells on either side of the stomata's opening control the entry of gases such as carbon dioxide and the exit of gases such as oxygen. Another way is through the photosynthetic process, by which the sun and the cactus cooperate to make energizing starches and sugars. Still another way is through the exudates that the roots release into the soil. A cactus plant's waste products are considered attractive, delicious prey by the underground soil food web.

Botanists and Horticulturists are biologists who study cactus plants [Cactaceae family] and African violets [Saintpaulia spp].

Fruiting times depend upon the particular cactus. Some don't bear fruit at all. There's quite a bit of variability among those that do fruit. For example, the old man cactus [Espostoa melanostele] takes 15 years to bring forth pale yellow flowers and then yellow to red berries. Other cactus plants flower, fruit, and seed upon becoming a certain size, instead of a certain age. In the way of another example, the candy barrel cactus [Ferocactus wislizeni] bears lemon, orange or red bell or funnel shaped blooms, which are followed by small yellow berries, upon reaching a 12 inch/30 centimeter diameter.

Pachycereus pringlei, also known as Mexican Giant Cardon or Elephant Cactus, is a species of cactus that is native to northwestern Mexico. At 63 feet, it is the tallest cactus in the Americas or, for that matter, in the world.

It's estimated that around 90% of the cactus holds water. Water may be stored in the roots and in the stems. It also is estimated that a cactus may lose as much as 60% of its stored water without being adversely affected.

Yes. Cacti photosynthesise through their bodies, not their thorn-like leaves which have no chloroplasts.

A cactus is a succulent plant normally found in deserts and other arid regions. Most cacti have thick skins and spines to discourage animals that might consume them for the moisture stored inside.

Only if something poisonous has got itself spiked on it and put poison on it, but otherwise, no.

The great majority of the land mass of Australia is either arid or sem-arid, there is very little surface water, the rain fall is low and there are very few rivers that actually run other than immediately after heavy rain.

Some of the larger deserts are the Great Victoria Desert, the Gibson Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, the Little Sandy Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, the Simpson Desert. That accounts for most of the west of the continent, nearly two-thirds.

Many species of cacti can survive a frost. Some can survive temperatures that are below zero for a time. However, there are species of cacti that are more tropical in nature and cannot tolerate freezing temperatures.

The term that's synonymous with phylum, in the plant world, is division. So the phylum, or preferentially the division, of cactus plants is Magnoliophyta. It's the division for angiosperms, which also are called flowering plants. Flowering plants may develop from an embryo that has one or two leaves. A cactus is a dicotyledon, because it has two embryonic leaves.

same as other plants

The only difference is they store what they need

(like a balloon) for times when there is no food or water....their leaves have evovled into spines for protection and use their skin for sunlight collection as opposed to most plants that use their leaves for collection of heat and light...both collect water by root systems

its a place to store water for later use. succulent plants can lose 60% of their volume in draughts and still live to see the rain fall

A cactus plant doesn't move, because it's anchored in the soil by many fibrous, shallow roots underground. But it may spread above ground by its jointed parts breaking off and rooting in the ground around the cactus stem. In fact, one plant can root outward in such a way as to end up forming a dense, treelike, vegetative growth over quite an area of ground.

The saguaro is a native of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and northwest Mexico.

The hedgehog cactus [Echinocereus spp] reproduces naturally by fleshy seeds. The seeds are found in its green to purple berries. They quickly are spread by the fruit's predators, such as birds and rodents. Additionally, the hedgehog cactus may reproduce by having its babies, or offsets, clumped or divided.

A cactus plant may turn brown, because of natural aging. Not all cactus plants are green in color, or stay that color in the course of a lifetime. Or a cactus plant may turn brown, because of environmental stress or stressors. One example of stress related browning is scorching from too much direct sunlight at too high temperatures. Other examples include viral, fungal or bacterial diseases; and pest attacks by predatory bugs and insects. Or a cactus plant may turn brown, because of drought. Way too little water dries out the fleshy tissues on the inside of the cactus. Or it may turn brown, because of death.

Common opinion is that a saguaro grows about an inch to an inch and a half a year, give or take depending on the weather. But there is tremendous variation between individual specimens. One saguaro that is 150 years old might be roughly 150" tall, or about 12 feet while another in a more sunny position or with access to more water might reach 40 feet.

It is most commonly found in the Sonora Desert and parts of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Since the cactus is a plant, it does flower. The fruits that are produced after the cacti flowers contains seeds. Seeds are usually dispersed by birds who consume the fruit.

Yes, the cactus is an unusual plant. It tends to be grouped into two broad categories that are based on the biome in which it's found. One group is that of the desert cactus. This group is unusual for its successful survival in the harsh, extreme environment of strong sunlight and little moisture. The other group is that of the jungle cactus. This group is unusual for its successful survival in the enervating environment of much moisture and little direct sunlight.

seeds or cuttings

they dig deep down to the part were it can find water.