21 Best Cactus Plants To Grow In Your Garden

Take a look at these 21 attractive and popular cacti that you can work within a landscape design, whether it is a few containers, raised planting beds, or an entire yard.

USDA Growing Zones: 8 to 10Color Varieties: PinkSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained loam or sand

USDA Growing Zones: 9a to 11bColor Varieties: Greenish white with blue berriesSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained soil mix with gravel

USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 11bColor Varieties: IvorySun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Impoverished soil intended for cacti

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9Color Varieties: Bright redSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Prefer soils of volcanic origins

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: Yellow with spinesSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, fast-draining cactus mix

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: Golden yellowSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs:  Rich, fast-draining cactus mix

USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9Color Varieties: Purple-magentaSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs:  Typical fast-draining cactus mix

This showy columnar cactus has upright growth that is actually used as a living fence in Mexico and other regions where it grows well. Plant it near a brightly colored wall for a dramatic effect or in containers with native flowers. If you have ever visited the home of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Mexico City, you might recognize these cacti as the same type that borders their property.

USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 11bColor Varieties: Reddish pinkSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs:  Well-draining soil

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: White or redSun Exposure: Strong indirect sunSoil Needs: Rich, fast-draining cactus mix

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 10Color Varieties: Yellowish-pinkSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Cactus mix

Vronja_Photon / Getty Images

USDA Growing Zones: 10 to 11Color Varieties: Pinks, reds, whites, yellows, oranges, and shades in betweenSun Exposure: Filtered sunlightSoil Needs: Standard potting soil amended with peat and sand

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: White, pink, and purpleSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Well-drained, gritty soils

USDA Growing Zones: 10 to 11Color Varieties: Bright redSun Exposure: Full sun (partial shade in extreme heat)Soil Needs: Well-drained, gritty soils

USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 11Color Varieties: YellowSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Well-drained sandy or gravely mix

USDA Growing Zones: 10a to 11Color Varieties: Bright pink to redSun Exposure: Bright direct sunSoil Needs: Rich potting soil

If planted near desert trees like mesquite and palo verde, saguaros will be protected from heat and frost. In a landscape, they are attractive when grouped with golden barrels, prickly pears, and drought-tolerant shrubs, such as chuparosa and Baja fairy duster.

USDA Growing Zones: 8a to 11bColor Varieties: Creamy whiteSun Exposure: Bright direct sunSoil Needs: Well-drained grit

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: Rose or burgundySun Exposure: Full to partial sunSoil Needs: Soil amended with sand

USDA Growing Zones: 8 to 9Color Varieties: Yellow with orange centersSun Exposure: Full to partial sunSoil Needs: Sandy composite soil mix

USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11Color Varieties: Pale pinkSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Cactus and succulent soil mixture

USDA Growing Zones: 10a to 11Color Varieties: Bright pink with furSun Exposure: Full to partial sunSoil Needs: Cactus and succulent soil mixture

USDA Growing Zones: 8 to 11Color Varieties: Yellowish greenSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Dry soil