What is the cactus plant and what are its uses?

1. What kind of plant is cactus?

Cactus is a succulent plant of the genus Opuntia in the Cactaceae family. Most of them grow in clumps or shrubs. The stem nodes are flat and obovate, with hard small brown thorns growing on them. As a representative of succulent plants, cactus is particularly drought-resistant and is most afraid of waterlogging. When caring for it at home, keep the soil in the pot dry and wait until the soil is completely dry before watering. If planted outdoors, there is no need to take care of it after planting. It will grow by the weather and can also bloom and bear fruit.

2. The Uses of Cactus

1. Ornamental value: The most common use of cactus is probably its ornamental value. Plant a cactus in a flowerpot and it doesn’t matter if you forget to water it occasionally. It will not die from drought anyway, so it is most suitable for lazy people to maintain.

2. Edible value: Cactus is quite popular as food abroad. It has to be said that foreigners have a "iron mouth". The cacti sold in supermarkets are usually already thorned. We just need to peel and wash them when we buy them, and then we can fry, steam or stir-fry!

3. Anti-theft weapon: Cactus is actually an anti-theft weapon, especially in my country's rural areas, where cacti are planted on the walls. If a thief dares to climb the wall, he can be pricked into a hedgehog in minutes, making him regret it.

4. Rootstock grafting: Cactus is a particularly good rootstock. For example, the root system of Christmas cactus is weak, and the roots will easily rot if watering is not done properly. If it is grafted onto a cactus, the drought-resistant nature of the cactus can be used to perfectly solve the problem of root rot.