If you’ve been wondering how long do cacti live, you’re not alone! Typically, the cactus is known for its ability to survive in the most unusual environments and its long lifespan.
Besides, there is always a significant difference in the lifespan of different cactus species. Therefore, numerous congenital factors play an essential role in calculating the average life cycle of a specific species.
Naturally, it is challenging to determine how long a cactus might survive. But an average age and factors influencing the life cycle of a cactus can be determined. Along with this, we must remember that with proper care, these plants can live for centuries.
Although with age, a few changes can be observed in the cactus:
- The appearance of the plant can seem to deteriorate.
- The cactus becomes vulnerable to various infections and diseases.
- Additional care is necessary as excessive exposure to sunlight or water can damage the plant.
Now that you’ve wrapped your head around the basics of the lifespan of the cactus, let’s take a deeper dive into it.
Table of Contents
What Factors Affect the Lifespan of A Cactus?
According to recent studies, the Cactaceae family consists of approximately 150 genera and 2,500 species found in different parts of the world. And generally, the lifespan of the cactus typically ranges between 10 to 200 years.
So, it is evident that more than a few factors are involved in affecting the lifespan of the cactus.
Furthermore, a cactus grown outdoors in an appropriately regulated environment tends to live longer than those cultivated indoors. However, with proper care, many indoor cacti can survive for much longer.
But let’s be honest, you can give the necessary attention to this plant and still not succeed in keeping it alive for decades. It’s because of a few factors involved:
- Species you choose to grow
- The habitat of the cactus
- Growing factors
Now that you know these certain factors, it is time to explore this topic further to help you understand it better.
How Can A Cactus Have A Long Lifespan?
The most common natural habitat of the cacti is rough and arid. As a result, the cacti must do everything they can to endure and multiply. They have slow metabolisms and prolonged lives to ensure they can continue to progenate.
Moreover, the extended lifespan helps the cactus to flower and reproduce even in challenging environments.
Cacti are relatively long-lived plants due to a variety of factors. Their adaptive nature enables them to have longer life spans. The surreal and often beautiful physical attributes of cacti are what help them live for decades.
Let’s have a look at what makes cacti live longer.
Back to the Roots
In an arid environment (desert) where the cactus grows, the likelihood of rain is little to none. The most significant feature that lets the cactus survive in such harsh conditions is its roots.
Cacti have shallow roots that spread out widely in the ground. This means that when it rains, they can accumulate moisture soaking into the soil from a large surface area, absorbing as much as feasible. Therefore, roots help the cactus have adequate water to survive for a long time.
No Water Loss
Generally, all plants have leaves and stems through which they gain as well as lose water during the process of transpiration. In addition, the reasonably considerable surface area of the leaves and branches in most plants causes a massive portion of moisture loss.
However, things work differently here when it comes to cactus, as these plants do not have any typical leaves or branches to worry about. The cactus spines have a huge surface area and allow for water loss, yet they contain very little water and are made of strong fiber.
Unlike other plants, cacti only open the stomata on their stems at night, so the water loss during the day is minimal.
Adapting to Limited Rain
We all are aware of desert climate conditions, and the rainfall in such areas is rare. However, if rainfall occurs, the cactus needs to take maximum advantage of the moisture from the rain. So, cacti instantaneously develop fine root hairs on their fibrous roots after rainfall.
Consequently, the root hair helps the cactus adapt itself to absorbing the maximum amount of water present in the soil. However, the root hair withers away once the soil/ground dries out.
Waxy Stem
Now that you understand how cactus prevents net water loss, let us see where they store it.
The primary stem of the cactus is dense and succulent with a waterproof resin/wax coating. The waxy stem enables the cactus to accumulate considerable moisture within the succulent stalk without risk of water loss.
Moreover, the cacti can also increase or decrease their stem’s dimensions as the amount of moisture within them changes.
The Spiky Factor
If you think the spines in the cactus just contribute to its distinctive aesthetic look, then you are wrong.
The spines of the cacti work as a protective mechanism, as it prevents external threats like animals from harming the cactus. Thus, the cactus has only a few predators and can live for a long time without the threat of external attacks.
Fun Fact!
Ever wondered which is the longest living cactus species? Well, us too! The Saguaro Cactus of the genus Carnegiea and species Gigantea is believed to be the longest living cactus. The Mexico and Arizona native cactus can live up to 150 and 200 years in the wild.
The oldest Saguaro recorded was up to 300 years old, found in Saguaro National Park, Arizona. Unfortunately, the plant died in the 1990s due to a bacterial infection.
How Long Do Indoor Cacti Live?
As we already know, the lifecycle of an indoor cactus is most likely to be shorter than the outdoor ones.
However, knowing the right ways to take care of your plant, you can succeed in keeping your cactus healthy for a long time.
The truth is that after the cactus has been removed from its natural environment, it is up to you to provide the care that it requires to survive and grow. Typically, these plants are not the most difficult to take care of; all you need to do is keep in mind the following:
- Know the right amount of sunlight exposure required for proper growth.
- Water your cactus, of course, keeping in check with the species.
- Grow it in the best-suited soil type.
- Drainage
It is essential to know all the specific requirements for the cactus you own as it can vary in different species. However, with the right care, your indoor cactus will survive for a long time.
How Long Can a Cactus Live Without Water?
This question might have crossed your mind once or twice, and the answer to this is not the simplest one. The length of time a cactus can go without any water depends solely on the species.
For example, the mammillaria species of cactus can sustain the winters for at least four to five months in the absence of water. But they do require freezing temperatures to sustain in summers. On the contrary, a few other species can survive without water for at least two weeks, while some can be without water for two years.
Generally, you would have to pay more attention to the water requirements of your garden cactus, as they tend to be more affected by this than wild cacti.
It is ideal to water your plant weekly, but you should water it again only when the soil is completely dried out.
How Do Cacti Survive Without Sunlight?
It is a common myth that a cactus needs to be under sunlight at all times. Of course, the cactus requires sunlight for the basic metabolic process of photosynthesis like any other green plant. However, keeping your plant out in the sun for long durations can damage it.
Besides, the cactus tends to withstand shade for extensive periods. The amount of light exposure required by cacti varies significantly throughout the different species.
Though the cacti plant can generally grow in the shade with only a little sunlight, it is not ideal, as it can damage the growth of the cactus.
If there is not enough sunlight for an extended duration of time, most cacti species will grow weak and vulnerable to a variety of infections and diseases. Therefore, your plant should be exposed to sunlight for the recommended amount of time, or it won’t survive for long.
Wrapping Up
By taking note of the factors affecting the lifespan of the cactus, you can get an overview of their average lifespan.
With close to 2500 different species of cactus that come in various shapes and sizes, they can vary greatly from species to species. The most extended period a cactus can survive can be up to two centuries, while in some species, the lifespan can last up to 20-30 years.
Moreover, by going through several recommendations and information provided in this extensive guide, you can take better care of the requirements of the cactus so it can live longer.