If you are looking for Cacti that do well in artificial light for your indoor garden space, this list is waiting just for you!
Love to grow succulents as houseplants? Then, have a look at this listicle, it contains several cacti that do well in artificial light and tend to flourish in the warm, humid, and low-light conditions of your home. Read on to meet these charming cacti—you may just find a few new favorites for your collection!
Cacti That Do Well in Artificial Light
1. Zebra Cactus
Botanical Name: Haworthiopsis attenuata
Though not a true cactus, this beautiful houseplant still deserves a place in any collection! Zebra Cactus is a low-maintenance plant, that can easily thrive in low-light conditions which is why it does great under LED grow lights. Additionally, the white stripes and patterns on its foliage put on an amazing display!
2. Christmas Cactus
Botanical Name: Schlumbergera species
The famous holiday plant as you know needs a pretty long period of darkness from September to November to develop flower buds, did you know that? Unlike other desert cacti, this typical cacti needs moist, warm, and moderate lighting to flourish, so this is a good option for growing under grow lights.
It requires a maximum of 12 hours of dark period to initiate flower buds but after the flowers start to bloom, you can adjust the photoperiod for 8-10 hours.
3. Bunny Ear Cactus
Botanical Name: Opuntia microdasys
Lay your hands on this adorable, tiny Cactus, but be sure to wear a pair of gloves before you do that! Yes, the Bunny ear cactus is a cute little houseplant best for your indoor space but the bunny’s ear-like pads comprise hair-like spines that can irritate your skin. Under grow lights, this cutie will keep sprouting new ‘ears’ for your indoor garden!
Pro tip: Position it in an area where it won’t be easily bumped into—those tiny spines detach easily and can be hard to remove!
4. Mistletoe Cactus
Botanical Name: Rhipsalis baccifera
This trailing beauty is listed as endangered in Florida but is also available in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, and Madagascar. If it is available in your region, you can do a favor by growing this low-maintenance beauty in your home before it goes extinct!
Did you know, it’s one of the few cacti naturally adapted to forest conditions which is why very happy in the moderate light of an indoor space? Just place it under grow lights and watch it thrive!
5. Lace Cactus
Botanical Name: Echinocereus reichenbachii
The Lace cactus seems to wear a large, bright pink hat on top when it blooms! It is a compact, cylindrical-shaped cactus that grows well under fluorescent or LED grow lights, and with moderate watering, you will get to see its magnificent blooms during the spring and summer seasons.
6. Fairy Castle Cactus
Botanical Name: Acanthocereus tetragonus
Fairy Castle Cactus has a unique, tower-like shape and forms a beautiful pattern while it grows. It is a great one as it tolerates lower light levels which also makes it a perfect fit for artificial lighting conditions. Besides, it is quite a slow grower so you need not worry about frequent repotting.
7. Moon Cactus
Botanical Name: Gymnocalycium mihanovichii
Moon Cactus is a popular houseplant for its colorful grafted top that comes in red, yellow, and pink colors. This pretty cactus adapts well to lower light conditions in indoor spaces and is perfect for artificial lighting spaces. Moreover, it is best for gifting your loved ones during the holiday season. As is also quite desirable for its compact size and shape.
8. Old Lady Cactus
Botanical Name: Mammillaria hahniana
This charming, fuzzy cactus can steal the show when it blooms in its tiny pink rosettes in a circular pattern on the top. Also, it is a small cactus that can grow up to 25 cm tall and 50 cm wide in the later stage of its life cycle, because it grows very slowly.
If you have a small space on your study table, add a grow light and place this beauty with a Bunny ear cactus!
9. Fishbone Cactus
Botanical Name: Discocactus anguliger
The Fishbone cactus sets quite a unique appeal in the indoor space with its zig zag foliage and stems. It also has a trailing nature and looks gorgeous in hanging baskets or as tabletops. In addition, it loves to flourish in warm and humid conditions and can be a good choice to grow under artificial LED grow lights to promote healthy blooming!
10. Ladyfinger Cactus
Botanical Name: Mammillaria elongate
This beautiful cactus features stems that resemble fingers and this is where it gets its name the Ladyfinger Cactus. It has small and cylindrical shapes and structures with tiny spines all over and can thrive best under LED grow lights indoors. Besides, it is a slow-growing, low-maintenance plant perfect for beginners.
Advice: Rotate the plant occasionally to ensure all sides receive equal light exposure, which helps prevent uneven growth.
11. Sand Dollar Cactus
Botanical Name: Astrophytum asterias
Also popular as the “Living Rock”, and sometimes resembles a sea urchin with its rigid, star-like appearance. It has a very slow-growing nature is highly tolerant to low light conditions and does extremely well in artificial light setups when grown indoors. However, it is very sensitive to over-watering so you need to keep it in mind!
12. Easter Cactus
Botanical Name: Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri
Easter Cactus is a tropical cactus and a popular holiday plant as well. Desired and admired for its cheerful star-shaped blooms, which come in various colors such as yellow, orange, pink, or white. Also, yes! It blooms in the spring season during the Easter holidays which is why the name.
This beauty is best for growing indoors under artificial grow lights because it prefers to flourish in diffused light conditions. And here is a helpful hint—just increase watering slightly before it blooms in spring, then reduce it after the flowering season ends. This mimics its natural growth cycle.
Hoping that this list of cacti that do well in artificial light is going to help you out in choosing some of the best ones for you! Let us know in the comments section, which ones did you add to your bucket list.
