Grow these stunning cacti with white flowers—they’re a symbol of love, hope, and new beginnings! Come check them out!
Well, we all know how these spiky desert dwellers are bearers of beautiful bloomers ranging from all light and dark shades. So, why not explore some cactus with white flowers? They’re easy to grow, low-maintenance, and will be just icing on the cake for your garden!
Top Cactus With White Flowers
1. Saguaro Cactus
Botanical Name: Carnegiea gigantea
One of the most iconic symbols of Arizona and Sonoran deserts. The Saguaro cactus is popular because of its immense size and unique architecture—it’s practically a celebrity in the plant world!
More interestingly, its beautiful white flowers have a short-lived charm, opening in the late afternoon and closing by midday. But while they last, these funnelform, bell-shaped blossoms are a sight to behold, especially when they bloom during spring and summer.
2. Hooker’s Orchid Cactus
Botanical Name: Epiphyllum hookeri
The famous Hooker’s Orchid cactus also known as the Epiphyllum hookeri is an evergreen, epiphyte with arching branches. It thrives in suitable habitats and is commonly found in many protected areas
Did you know the plant has high medicinal uses? It is harvested from the wild for local use as food and medicine. Additionally, the fruit is a popular wild food in eastern Guatemala.
3. Argentine Giant Cactus
Botanical Name: Soehrensia candicans
Popular in the regions of Argentina, the Argentine Giant is admired for its large, fragrant white flowers. It’s a slow-growing shrub with upright and sprawling stems with vigorous ribs lined with clusters of brown-yellow spines.
If you live in a hot and dry climate, this cactus is a must-have! Because the giant blossoms are worth watching when they bloom during the spring-summer months.
4. Easter Lily Cactus
Botanical Name: Lobivia ancistrophora ‘Dominos’
The Dominos Easter Lily cactus is a small, globular cactus cultivar with woolly white areoles all over its body. Interestingly, it produces large, white flowers on long, green tubes that appear larger than the plant!
Again, the best part is that these beautiful blossoms releases a mesmerizing fragrance that stays all summer till the blooms last.
5. Queen of the Night
Botanical Name: Epiphyllum oxypetalum
If you want a fast-growing, and long-living cactus that also produces sweet fragrances then here is the Queen of the Night for you! Additionally, this powerful scent lingers all over your garden, especially during the night hours.
The flowers are exceptionally large with a size of up to 12 inches (30 cm) long and 8 inches (20cm) wide that bloom only at night just for a couple of hours before dawn.
6. Night-Blooming Cereus
Botanical Name: Peniocereus greggii
This one comes along with some unique characteristics like having many slender stems with cylindrical upper roots and in fact the stems are only one inch in diameter. The Night Blooming cactus is an upright plant that bears white flowers which leaves behind a trail of fragrance.
The Night-Blooming Cereus lives up to its name, producing white flowers that leave behind a trail of fragrance. And here’s a fun fact—these blossoms smell like vanilla! Throughout history, this species has been used in religious ceremonies, for medicinal purposes, and as an ornamental plant.
7. San Pedro Cactus
Botanical Name: Echinopsis pachano
Straight from Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, the San Pedro Cactus thrives at high altitudes in the Andes Mountains. No surprise, it has over 25 different names, including Andachuma, Huachuma, and Achuma.
Fact: These plants are also rich in mescaline, a psychedelic substance, so consuming these plants is illegal in many countries.
8. Dragon Fruit Cactus
Botanical Name: Hylocereus unaus
Thanks to the existence of this delicious fruit! The Dragon fruit cactus is a widely popular fruit variety that has cylindrical and spineless stems. Like many epiphytic cacti, this one also is also a night bloomer and the flower usually lasts for just one night.
But don’t worry, just after the bloomers fall off you will be rewarded with a sweet fruit that is absolutely tasty!
9. Hedge Cactus
Botanical Name: Cereus hildmannianus
Say hello to this shrubby or tree-like cactus with so many blue-green to dull green branches with vertical ribs and are mostly spineless. However, the mature plants usually have a woody trunk below the lower branches.
Again, the beautiful white to off-white flowers appear from late spring to early fall season and opens only at night and remain just for one day.
10. Thanksgiving Cactus
Botanical Name: Schlumbergera truncate
A tropical cactus on the list that is native to the coastal forests of southern Brazil. It tends to thrive in the humid most environments and produces the most exquisite flowers in white shades during the fall and winter season which is why it is also called as one of the holiday cactus.
However, some may confuse it with the other species “Christmas cactus” because both appears very similar in terms of flat stems and growing nature.
11. Golden Torch cactus
Botanical Name: Trichocereus spachianus
Torch Cactus is a perennial plant that can live for many years in arid areas. It has a cylindrical green body with upright columns reaching up to 2m in height. The stems are about 5-6 cm in diameter and covered with golden spikes.
Furthermore, it produces white funnel-shaped flowers that bloom in the spring and only open up during the night.
12. Lava Cactus
Botanical Name: Brachycereus nesioticus
The Lava cactus is quite an interesting cacti species that has short, cylindrical structure in a clump form. Additonally, it is almost somewhat similar to the Pincushion cactus varieties because of the cover of dense spines all over.
Tip: If the roots have become black or overly soft, the cactus could be experiencing root rot. Cut away the affected parts and replant.
Hope you like this collection. It seems that most of these plants may not last long but when they will appear their elegance and fragrance will take your breath away for sure! So, let us know in the comments below when are you getting one!
